"Well," mom said, "I didn't have that strong feeling about those, to tell you the truth. Until your dad slipped. He said his girlfriend liked those old records. And somehow, when he said that, suddenly I thought that I cared about having those old records more than I had before. So I said no. He didn't take it well."

"Sorry, mom," I said. "Sounds like dad wasn't being sensitive."

She paused for a moment before replying.

"I don't want to get you wrapped up in our squabbles, Randy," she said. "But you asked, and you're an adult. I don't want to hold a grudge, but I have a hard time...