She sat up in her chair, as if her mother would hear the slouch in her shoulders. “Ma’am,” she said.

Skipping the pleasantries, Katherine got to the point. “I’m throwing a gala!”

G.D. it.

Her mother’s excitement only meant extra work for her. A gala, as she liked to call them, was simply a retirement ball for another aging Marine in their social circle. Even after Victoria’s father had retired from military service, Katherine still managed to maintain her busy schedule with Chicago’s chapter of Marine Wives. Whether it was brunch or community service events or retirement ceremonies, her mother was there with her battalion of ladies, armed with sheet cake and balloons.

Victoria would normally get on a train and make an appearance, but it was October: the busiest part of fall semester outside of finals week. She had midterms to plan, committee meetings to crash, and initiatives to shove down Kenneth Williams’s throat. “I wonder if I could skip that,” she asked, toying around with the loose corner of her desk calendar. Most of its squares were being steadily filled with tasks and reminders that had nothing to do with military galas.

“You want to skip it?” Katherine asked in a familiar key of aghast and hurt. “Why on earth would you do that?”

“Because I don’t think I’ll have time, ma’am.”

Her mother sighed. “I don’t have time is an excuse for the lazy. Only when we die, do we no longer have time. What have I told you about keeping a decent schedule? You’re not going to get where you need to go—”

“—without a good plan,” Victoria finished. Her mother’s mantra was a response to everything that went wrong in Victoria’s life. Lost your scarf? Forgot to replace the milk? Didn’t make the Dean’s List? You should have had a plan, Victoria. “I know. I just don’t think I can squeeze it in at the moment.”

“What’s there to squeeze in?” her mother asked. “All you need to do is get on a train and in two hours you’re here. If you’re still having trouble prioritizing your tasks, you need to admit it.”

Victoria swallowed. “Why do you need me to be there?”

Katherine’s tone softened. “Your father and I haven’t seen you in several months. Jeffrey Robbins is finally retiring; he’s like an uncle to you. It would mean so much to him and Janet if you came to support him.” Her mother paused. “Of course, we’d love to see you as well.”