AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE: "Don't worry about Luke. You go to Al-anon."
I stared at my doctor in disbelief. "Me? I'm not the one with the drinking problem."
"I know that, Carol. But someone you love drinks and it's affecting your health in ways you don't even realize."
I hurried to the car, climbed in and slammed the door. Imagine him telling me I need help. I turned the key over and gunned the accelerator Crunch. My head jerked. Behind me sat another car. Its red fender bunched up like a wadded piece of paper.
"Hey, lady, are you blind?" A tall, lanky teenager with orange streaked hair jumped from his car and faced me. "You didn't even look before you pulled out."

I scanned his outfit. Baggy jeans which scrapped the cement, a tee-shirt that read, "I was born to party," and an image of a cobra ready to strike, tattooed on his left arm.
"Do you actually have a mother or were you hatched?" I barked.
After a lengthy confrontation which would have made a juicy piece for the Jerry Springer show, I drove home. Luke's car was in the driveway.
I plopped a sack of groceries on to the kitchen counter. "What time did you get in last night?"
"I don't know," he mumbled, pawing through the refrigerator.
"Well, I do. It was after one o'clock. Your curfew is ten on a school night."
"So?"
"So you're grounded."
Luke rolled his eyes. "I'm already grounded."
"Then you're double grounded."
"Get a life, Mom," he scoffed, and shuffled toward his bedroom. I heard the door slam.
I reached for the bottle of Tums and downed a handful. What am I going to do?
The following week went reasonably smooth. My hopes begin to rise. It's just a phase I told myself. He'll snap out of it. A late night call brought an abrupt end to my expectations.
"Mrs. Gustke?" A deep voice resounded on the end of the line.
"Yes."
"Is your son, Luke Davis?"
"Yes." I gripped the phone, fearful of what was coming next. A car accident? A death?
"Luke was found passed out at the Mall parking lot. He's been drinking."
"Oh, no. What shall I do?"
"I'll drive him home. But he will have to appear in juvenile court for sentencing. If he has no prior record the judge usually mandates a period of time in an alcoholic treatment center or Alcoholic Anonymous."
I paced the floor until I heard the police car pull into the driveway. I'd thought of a million things to say to Luke, but when he walked in I burst into tears. He looked terrible. There was vomit on

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