"Oh," Alex says, when he sees me with my mom at the door. He looks down, realizing that he's wearing only his boxers, then apparently decides to pretend otherwise. "Good morning, Mrs. Breyer."

"Good morning," my mom says, her eyes darting back to me. The look she gives me is less curious and much more accusatory than the one I got from Lucy. She leans toward me, dropping her voice. "Oh, Maebel. I know you're upset, honey, but was this really the smartest thing to ...