This story was originally slated to appear in the second issue of Nora Mayers' fanzine 88 Miles Per Hour. Unfortunately, the issue never saw publication, and I decided it would be nice if this tale didn't sit in limbo forever.

If you're looking for my usual heavy-duty multi-layered plot here, don't. I am admittedly a novelist, and this is the closest to a short story I've written in a long time (and even it doesn't qualify; its length is technically that of a novelette). This story was written at the behest of several friends who asked to see how I envisioned Doc's parents. This is my view of things, with just a little bit of a plot twist thrown in to keep things interesting.