"Well, honey," she told him after careful consideration, "you're the man of the house now, so you shouldn't have to hold back in your own home. I should probably be very upset about it. That would be most mothers' reaction, after all. Brothers and sisters just don't do that sort of thing. But I'm not most mothers and we both know Chanel is a special girl. She's... well, she's sensitive and needs someone who loves her as much as you do. You're also very special, son. So maybe the usual rules about these things aren't important for a family like ours."

Jimmy looked at his mother in surprise. It was...