There's something about the offering of food when life's going down the drain that seems to unify people, no matter how much they seem to hate each other. Mom, being the expert parent and retired principal/child wrangler she was, understood that and, shortly after I exited the exploding argument, my amazing mother appeared with a giant tray of fragrant, fresh bread and a determined look on her face.

"Breakfast!"

Funny, she only had to say it once.

I hid ...