Dad ignored the subtext and went to the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Mom winked at me and I went to get dressed quickly. Soon we were driving away in the beat up family minivan. I noticed that we were going in the opposite direction of Becky's friend's house, but I didn't say anything. I was curious and felt a kind of heat in my chest. I wouldn't have been able to explain it then but I knew that it was anticipatory of something.

She didn't talk but she was smiling and humming the whole way. A few times I caught her looking at me out of the corner...