The three of us, my impatient pug not included, stayed silent a long moment while Petunia hummed her dissatisfaction at being ignored. I wondered how long we'd have hung there, none of us knowing what to say and a mix of emotions weighing the air in the room if it hadn't been for Dad's arrival.

He swept through the swinging door like he owned the place, a big smile on his face but stopped and did a double take before meeting my eyes. "Who do I have to hunt down and kill ...