“Hello, Mrs., uh,” said Fisherman. “Mrs. Ma’am.” Then his face turned bright red.

She pretended not to notice. “Come, boys. Have a seat at the table.”

I almost forgot what it was like to have my friends in the house. Around my parents. Parent. Since we moved here, I always felt like I was running away from home, especially when I was with these guys. And they acted like no one would ever want them inside.

“We were about to have overnight oatmeal,” said my mom. “But you know what? With Rodney’s friends here, let’s go all out. I’ll make waffles.”

My sister stared at my mom, her eyes bugging behind her fashion glasses that do nothing to help her eyesight, but are very ugly, which she likes.

“I’ll toast frozen waffles,” corrected my mom. “I don’t actually know how to make waffles from scratch.”

Fisherman and Ben looked from my mom to my sister, like they didn’t know what to do.

My mom was in the old fridge, digging out a box of waffles. “They’re spelt and buckwheat. Is that okay?”

Fisherman and Ben nodded.

She took a second look at Fisherman and took another box of waffles out of the freezer compartment.

“Kate, could you please put out two more settings?”

My sister, who was in a pair of brown cords that she probably stole from a home for retired English professors and a blouse with puffy sleeves the color of a pool-table top, rolled her eyes. “Sure thing, Martha Stewart,” she said.

Then she stopped and stared at me. I could tell she was about to say something about the patriarchy, which is how she usually gets out of chores. But she just made a face and took down another two plates and cutlery.

We ate two boxes of waffles, and even Ben and Fisherman had some overnight oatmeal, which is oatmeal that my mom leaves overnight in milk and then usually doesn’t eat because it has so many carbs. She put some dried fruit in it so it tasted less like uncooked oatmeal left out all night.

My mom asked Ben questions. He told her about his mom in Canada and how they weren’t sure how they were going to work things out.

“That must be hard,” said my mom. “Your mom must miss you a lot.”

“Yeah. She thinks she might get a job as a body double for a movie that’s shooting in Vancouver. But anyway, she’s there and we’re here.”

“I’m so sorry, Ben,” said my mom. “I hope you get to see her soon. But I know Rodney would miss you if you left.”

“Mom,” I said. But it was true. I will hate it when Ben leaves.