Graphite. June 2002.

" 'Eddie . . .?' Jimmy said tentatively when he came near.

'What is it, Jim?'

He sat down next to me and leaned against my arm. 'When's my momma coming back?'

I looked down at him in surprise. 'She's not back yet?' He shook his head and looked up at me, the blue safety lights making him look very pale. I sighed and put my arm around him. 'I dunno, Jimmy. I wish I could tell you. But she'll come back to you as soon as she can, you know that.'

'Yeah. . . .' He twisted my blanket around his fingers. 'Jake said . . . Jake said she's not coming back. He - he said she left 'cause I'm such a brat.' "

From Silver: Part 3

This is the first full-out, non-sketchy picture I've done in a while.