[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s a young boy, my friend had a beautiful mother. Us neighborhood boys thought she was the best thing since canned peaches. It might’ve been her long blonde hair, or her brown cow eyes. Either way, any of us would’ve gladly filled in for her husband.

My friend’s mother was famous for more than just her looks. She was well-known for something we referred to as second-lunch. Which consisted of a Moon Pie and an RC Cola.

After eating lunch at our own houses, five of us neighborhood boys lined up on her back porch for second-lunch. Every day the same. And she’d make sure we left with full hands. Then, we’d sit beneath my friend’s house and see how long we could make the meal last. Christopher could nibble on his Moon Pie for nearly an hour.

The longest mine ever lasted was thirty-two seconds.

One summer, we learned our friend’s mother had cancer of the brain. At that age, none of us even knew what that was. It was aggressive. After only a few months, she lost her beloved hair and she started speaking quieter. Most days, she stayed around her house, wearing a robe.

Several of us neighborhood boys came up with an idea to cheer her up. We gathered on her back porch like we used to. Single file. When she came to the door, we each handed her a Moon Pie and a greeting card.

She died a few weeks later.

And some of us haven’t eaten Moon Pies since.