Alice

“How long has this been going on?” Mom asked, her eyes locked directly on mine. Lance had just sat down beside me after he got dressed.

“Mom, please—” I started.

“Answer me, Alice.”

I took a deep breath.

“Months.”

Lance was the one who answered.

I turned to look at him. Months? Did that mean he was including even the very beginning—our first meeting?

“Months?” Mom repeated, her voice rising. “And you didn’t even think to tell me?”

“We didn’t want everything to become chaotic,” Lance replied, still calm. “We were waiting for the right time.”

“The right time?” My mother let out a short laugh, but there was...