i 'd never forget my friends , or that night , but i felt positive that memories of my mom snuggling with him on the couch , the sheriff and i tossing a ball in the backyard , and all of us laughing together over the antics of the local town crazy , who had wandered down main street buck-naked ( and , i was really glad to not have turned into that sort of nut job ) , made me begin to believe that we could be a family together , a happy one even .