Lucretia burst into her room, happily tossing her bag onto the bed. With a grin, she pulled out her study chair, flipped open her laptop, and watched as her call connected to Linsey and Anita.

“Hi, Luc!” Linsey and Anita exclaimed in unison, their excitement practically bouncing through the screen.

“Hi, girls! I just got back from school, and Mom told me the big news—you’re both coming over for summer break!” Lucretia beamed, her voice brimming with ...