It was easy to focus.”

I slid two hot pancakes onto her plate and passed her the glass bottle of maple syrup.

“You did something hard,” I said.

“You kept my return date secret for two whole weeks.”

“Mom never caught on,” Haley said.

“She was always out with Brett or on her phone in the garage.

I just stayed in my room and watched the calendar.”

“You don’t have to carry that anymore,” I said.