Gosia, our nanny or housekeeper or whatever she is now that we are too old for a nanny, had a plate covered in tinfoil ready for Allison. Gosia is not just gorgeous but is also a master pasta-with-butter chef; nobody makes it as good as she does and it is our absolute favorite meal. For the first time ever, Allison said, No thanks, she had already eaten. She went straight to her room and closed the door, saying she had a lot of homework to do. Gosia and I shrugged at each other. “How did I turn out so normal?” I asked her. “No idea,” she agreed, and went back to the thick paperback she was reading. Quinn was in the living room, practicing piano. Daddy was in the den, listening to opera and paying bills. Mom of course was still at work. I called her and asked if I could sleep over at Kirstyn’s Friday night. She said, Sure, sorry, gotta go. I put my plate in the sink and, with absolutely nothing else to do, went up to doodle on my homework. Mom didn’t come home while I was awake and Daddy went to a PTA meeting at his school.
