It began with a smile, which became a giggle, and then a full-fledged belly laugh I couldn't control. It was so infectious, Billy Lee caught it, and there we sat like two first-graders laughing our fool heads off, when the doorbell rang. We still wore stupid grins when we opened the front door to find Linda and Art ready for the afternoon's work.

On my way upstairs to work beside Billy Lee, an idea popped into my mind like a lightbulb in a bubble above a cartoon character's head. I could use the money we'd made today to help underprivileged girls get an education. I could create a Gertrude Martin scholarship to be given to the Tishomingo High School female senior who needed help to pay for college. Billy Lee and I could be on the committee to decide who would get the scholarship.

By suppertime Art and Linda had a van loaded top to bottom, and I had enough boxes to warrant a run to the Durant Goodwill store, but that would have to wait. The store would be closed by the time we could drive there that evening.

Billy Lee fired up the hibachi out on the back porch. I topped cut-up potatoes, onions, and fresh green beans with pats of butter, salt, and pepper and wrapped it all in foil to grill thirty minutes before he put on the steaks. I sat in the swing and watched him cook.

"What're you going to do with the money you made today?" Billy Lee asked.

"I'm thinking about a Gertrude Martin scholarship for a high school senior girl."

"That's a good idea," he said.

"What'd you think I'd do with it?"

"Pay for divorces for women who have cheating husbands. Or else set up scholarships to train them for jobs so they could support themselves."

"Hadn't thought of that, but it's a good idea. I like it better than a scholarship for a younger person. What makes you so smart? And, while we're at it, you have got to start telling me stuff."

He looked me right in the eye. "I do tell you stuff."

"You didn't tell me about Linda and Art"

"I forgot. I was thinking about the office and hoping you wouldn't be disappointed, and I forgot"

"Billy Lee, I love every single thing you've done in the house. It's as if you read my mind and produce what I want even before I know what I want"

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is, I'd been dreading going through all that junk today. If it hadn't been for all the gorgeous furniture you'd built, I might have torched the place just to keep from sorting and packing up all that stuff."

He chuckled, and the tension disappeared.

"You've really got to start writing some of this down, Trudy. You'd be-good- at it."

"I couldn't keep a train of thought long enough to write a whole book. Besides, we've got too much work to do for that right now. Are those steaks ready? I'm starving." I changed the subject.

Sometimes Billy Lee's confidence in me was just plumb scary.

By Thanksgiving we had the dining room finished and the living room semidone. The woodwork had been stripped and the walls painted, but we'd decided to wait until after the holiday for the floor man. Momma and Lessie were the only guests, but we ate in the dining room on Granny Molly's good china. Momma was off in la-la land and thought I was the waitress and Billy Lee was a movie star. She fluttered her eyelashes at him after he said grace and carved the turkey. "I swear I saw you play on that episode of The Golden Girls."

"Don't mind her. Just be glad she's not yelling and upset," Lessie whispered.

"This is new territory for me. I didn't know Momma could flirt," I said out the side of my mouth.

"You two should stop telling secrets. It's bad manners to whisper like that. You will upset Billy Bob and me"

"It's Billy Lee, Momma," I corrected her gently.

"I know Billy Bob Thornton when I see him. It'll hurt his feelings if you call him Billy Lee. He's been my favorite movie star for a long time, so don't try to play games with me. Now, get us some more tea. My glass is almost empty, and his is only half full."

"Yes, ma'am," I said.

Billy Lee followed me to the kitchen. "Play along with her. It's really kind of fun."

"For you. You get to be a famous movie star. I'm just a waitress who's allowed to sit at the table."

"But it is Thanksgiving, and you've got family," he said.

"Oh, no, you don't. You're not playing the orphan card with me today, mister. And if you're going to be Billy Bob Thornton today, then get on in there and keep her flirting and happy." I pushed him toward the dining room.

He patted me on the shoulder. "Yes, ma'am. I'm on my way. Did I ever play on The Golden Girls?"

"I don't know, but that's one of her favorite shows. If she says you were on The Beverly Hillbillies, don't argue."

"You got it," he said.

"Did you get the help straightened out?" Momma asked Billy Lee when we got back to the dining room.

"I sure did. She just didn't recognize me off the big screen. I look different without stage makeup. Tell me, what movies have you played in, Miz Clarice?"

"Oh, darlin' boy, I'm not an actress" She giggled.

"Woman as lovely as you, I'll bet you used to be °"

Momma blushed and fanned the heat in her face with the back of one hand. "No, I wanted to be, but my daddy said no. He said his daughters were going to marry and be good mothers. So that's what I was. I have a daughter who's away at college. She's going to be a teacher. I wish she'd be an actress, but I'd never tell her that. My daddy didn't let me be what I wanted, so I'll just keep my mouth shut and let her be a teacher. But she's so pretty and funny, she could be an actress. I bet she could play Blanche's daughter any old day."

I was learning more about my mother than I'd ever known or imagined, and it was all because of Billy Lee.

"Is your daughter Trudy?"

"Yes, she is. Do you know her?" Momma asked.

"I've met her."

"Well, imagine, what a small world it is. Do you think you could get her a part in one of your movies?"

"I might. Tell her to come down to the studio and audition for me," he said.

I tried to give him my best drop-dead look, but it just couldn't get past the silly grin on my face.

Lessie poked my arm. "See? She's happy even if she's not 'here.'"

"Thank goodness." I nodded.

Momma shot us each a look, and we stopped talking.

"Now, I want to know what made you decide to go into acting," she said.

"It just seemed like it was the thing to do. I was out there in Hollywood and couldn't find a job doing anything else, and this scout asked me if I'd like to play on The Golden Girls, so I gave it a try."

She nodded seriously.

"I got that part and went on to get another. Pretty soon I was the star of a movie."

"Well, that's a wonderful story, Billy Bob, but I'm sleepy from this delicious meal. Would you take us home now?"

He played along and went to his shop, opened a side door, and drove out a 1970 Cadillac Coupe DeVille: a bright, shiny, red convertible with white leather interior. My eyes popped out of my head. He bundled the two old girls up in their coats and scarves, then helped Lessie into the backseat and Momma into the front. She held her chin up as if she were escorted every day in such style.