Chloe came off the sofa in a rush.

“You can’t do that!” she said.

“You can’t just throw us out!

We’ve lived here for two years!

Mom let us stay, this is our home too!”

And Julian, hearing his wife lay the groundwork, stepped in beside her and found his footing again, and his voice dropped into the confident register of a man who believes he knows something you don’t.

“She’s right,” he said.