GABRIEL

Dinner that night was more boisterous than the one before, with Sheila in the mix. The conversation centered around either the upcoming weekend trip or what Sheila had planned, the non-X-rated version for which I was grateful. I'd walked in on her regaling Ma with her exploits maybe once or twice before learning my lesson.

She toned it down to partying with her friends in the city and doing some shopping instead of debauchery and mayhem. There was lots of ...