No one spoke as Dad pulled away to drive us home. Joe reached over to pat my leg to let me know he had my back. When we got home, I ran up to my room to get ready for bed. I wasn’t surprised when Mom came up a little while later and shut my bedroom door.

I was sitting on my bed wearing the long t-shirt and panties I usually slept in. Mom stood with her back to the door giving me an odd look.

“Sam’s nice,” she said. I could tell she had a million Mom questions, but was weighing what to say to me.

“She really is,”...