The next morning I woke up to the smell of coffee and the soft sound of gospel music playing from the radio.

Mom gave me a huge smile and put aside the newspaper. I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down opposite her.

She glanced at the mug in my hand. "You drink it black?"

"I had to learn to appreciate it that way. Diabetes."

Her smile fell away. "Oh that's terrible. Do I have diabetes, too?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but not nearly as bad as mine. You ...