Jo gave Sam a look that was half exasperated, half tired.
"You know, you'd know these things if you picked up a phone once in awhile. Where have you been hiding yourself, Sam?"
When he looked cowed by that, she did answer his questions. Truthfully, she hadn't spent all that much time with either Winchester lately. And she knew that phones worked two ways. But she'd gotten caught up in her life here, strange as it could be. And they were involved in their lives. She didn't begrudge them that, though she did worry about Sam. She didn't know much of what was going on with him, but she knew enough to know that he was being more anti-social than usual.
"Maxine sort of found me a little while back. The City brought her in-without her parents. And so I ended up taking her in. I've been sharing custody with this guy, Wash. He was there too when she arrived." She held up a hand to forestall the likely question. "Not my boyfriend. We were just both in the same place at the same time. And apparently the City's foster system is pretty laughable so we didn't have much trouble getting set up as her legal guardians."
She sighed.
"Sam, I promise that I'll work with her and try to find a way for her to control this better. Just please give us that chance."