Page 74 of Keeping Time


Panel 1: Daniel rubs the back of his neck with one hand, frowning and eyes downcast. He says, "…Dad’s been really generous lately. I wouldn’t have been able to afford this place if he didn’t co-sign on the lease."

Panel 2: Emi closes her eyes, but her scowl is permanently etched into the wrinkles of her aging face. She replies, "Well. At least he’s spending money on one of us instead of that woman."

Panel 3: Emi opens her eyes and continues, "My lawyer is getting me a financial restraining order so he can’t do anything funny before we settle the asset division."

Panel 4: Daniel once again steeples his hands around his nose and mouth, this time looking worried. Emi continues from off-panel, "So you’d better not count on his help for much longer. His generosity might dry up once that goes through."

Panel 5: Emi's lip curls in a near-sneer as she goes on saying, "But what did we send you to university for if not for you to get a good, well-paying job?"

Panel 6: From off-panel again, Emi finishes, "Not everyone gets the opportunities you did. The worst thing you could do is waste them."

Daniel looks off to the side, away from his mother, his mouth tightly closed. The narration reads, "Almost every spare moment spent practicing those notes laid out for me on the sheet music."