Alexa waited a second before answering. Hiding in Penny’s explanation were some hard truths about Alexa’s life, at least her life with her daughter. She hoped Penny didn’t mean it the way it sounded, but Alexa had to allow for the possibility that she did. When Alexa decided to have a baby and be a mother on her own, she spent nine months trying to anticipate every hard question her daughter might have and every negative comment that people might toss at her. And she’d spent the last thirty years fending off the naysayers and surrounding Penny with love, positive role models, and extended family. She thought she’d done everything right, but apparently not. Now, it seemed, her decision to stay single and be a permanent party of one had consequences. She couldn’t decide whether to lash out or apologize, so she did neither. Better not to make this about her at the moment. Better angels, right? “Did you truly call the engagement off? Or is this exaggerated language? I’m not sure I understand.”

“I guess we did. He said we should take a pause and reassess. That’s what he said, Mom, like I was some strategy for how to get more voters on board with a policy issue. Pause and reassess. I lost it and fired back that I don’t need a pause. I don’t think this is going to work.”

“And then what happened?”

“Then the fucking mayor called. Like always.” Penny shouted this so loudly, she was sure Mignette, who Alexa assumed was positioned outside the door taking notes, could hear it clear as a bell.

With the background conversation about commitment running through her brain and the mayor on her mind, Alexa blurted out, “This isn’t about not having a father, is it?”

“Oh my god, Mom. No. I’m thirty years old. I’ve made peace with my daddy issues. Online therapy was invented for me.”

The resentment in Penny’s voice indicated that maybe the Zooms hadn’t been entirely successful, but Alexa moved on. “I’m sorry you’re going through all this. But do you really want Chase out of your life for good? You two seemed so happy a few weeks ago. Maybe it’s stress.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Penny snapped, answering her own question.

“Because you don’t seem like yourself,” Alexa offered gently.

“I am one hundred percent myself. This is me. I have high expectations for myself and other people,” Penny said in what sounded like a quote from an online personality test. “I don’t know if I can accommodate another person’s needs into my life. You didn’t.”

Alexa was taken aback. The therapy was not working. Tread lightly, tread lightly. “I accommodated your needs. Always.”