Mom had that smile she got when she was feral. It didn’t come out often, usually when we were at a store and the clerks were rude, or when a waiter was really bad at a restaurant. It looked surface friendly, but it hinted at long angry fangs that would delight in rending flesh from bone.

Mr. Ianelli didn’t seem to notice. “Just meant that she’d have to delay going to school is all.”

“Sure, but the grades will still be there when transcripts go out. We’re lucky—my mother is retired and has already said she’d be willing to watch the baby so Sara can go to class. We just want to make sure we don’t push her too hard and force her early. She’s a smart girl. She deserves the opportunity to be at her best.”

Mormor hadn’t said that to me, but I wasn’t surprised to hear it. She’d been my babysitter when Mom was working full time and a single parent. My kid would grow up stuffed full of delicious food and Young and the Restless and too many garden stores. I could handle that.

“Caroline would help with that, too.” Mr. Ianelli paused. He looked from me over to Leaf, his brows lifting. “If the kid is Jack’s.”

Jack groaned. “Jesus Christ, Dad.”

“What? I’m telling it like it is. She has a boyfriend right here. We don’t know.”

“I know.”

Mormor’s voice was quiet from the kitchen doorway. Deathly quiet. If Mr. Ianelli didn’t realize that he was in imminent danger, he was a fool. Jack’s mom clued in pretty fast. She brushed by Mormor to come out to the living room. “Peter, please.”

“I’m being practical, Caroline. I’m not saying it’s not his, either.”

“You’re being rude is what you’re being,” she said.

My esteem for Caroline rose significantly.

Mr. Ianelli sighed and raked his hand over his hair. He swigged from his beer and shook his head. “I’m trying to protect our son.”

“Maybe don’t embarrass me to death. That’s protecting me, too,” Jack said. “I’m...really sorry, Sara. Like, so sorry. I just...”