When Olivia walked into her office, she found her mother, Josephine, already inside.

"Mom, what brings you here?" Olivia stepped forward and gently linked arms with Josephine.

"I was dropping off some fresh clothes for your father, so I figured I’d bring you some of your favorite pastries, too."

"Dad’s not planning to come home again?" Olivia's emphasis on "again" made it clear she wasn’t too happy about it.

"He says he’s heading out of town for a conference. ...