I shook my head. “I just feel so powerless. And now I’m questioning whether I should have taken Iris to see him.”

“Of course you should have,” Julie said. “He’s her father. She needs to see him.” She put her arm around me. She was so sweet in her private life, which was such a contrast from her work persona that sometimes I had to remember she was the same person. “I know this is hard, but we’re here to help you.” I sighed, knowing now was the right moment.

“I know that, and you’ve all been so great. But I have to be honest about something.”

All eyes were on me.

“Iris and I can technically go back to our house.” I grimaced. “But Bill is worried about our safety. He doesn’t really want us to be alone there. But it’s also not fair for us to stay here when we don’t really need to be here.”

Alice laughed. “Charlotte, sweetheart. The mommune isn’t about what we need. We could all move on. We’re strong, capable women. But being together makes us stronger. We want you and Iris to stay here as long as you want.”

I put my hand to my heart. “You are amazing. You all are. Thank you so much.” I paused. “And, um, I haven’t exactly broken the news to Iris that we could go home. I would never ask you to lie for me, but if you could perhaps not mention it.”

“Of course we won’t!” Grace agreed. “We don’t want y’all to go anywhere. It’s so much more fun when we’re all here together, not on our own.”

“And we have Alice to take care of us!” Julie said.

Alice smiled, and I raised my glass. “To Alice!” I said.

“Hear! Hear!” Grace said.

“I don’t know where Iris and I would be if it weren’t for you.”

“If it weren’t for you,” Alice said. “Thank goodness you had that total breakdown in the bank. Otherwise, we wouldn’t all be here together now.”

We all laughed.

Alice reached over me and took Julie’s hand. “You saved me.” She looked at Grace and me too. “All of you. You have given me purpose. You have given me a family when I thought even the fantasy of that was over for me.”

My stomach hurt just thinking about what she had been through. “What happened?” I asked. As soon as I said it out loud, I realized I hadn’t meant to. I’d only wanted to think it.

Alice shook her head. “Jeremy died in an avalanche while we were on a ski trip, Glen had a car accident, Walter fell off a ladder while cleaning the gutters.”

I shuddered, thinking of the gutters on this house, three stories tall including the garage underneath, and the concrete below. How did Alice stay here?