I hadn’t really thought about that. “I don’t know. Two, three days to start. Just pack whatever you’ve got. If you run out of stuff, we’ll get more.”

“Will you get me a phone?”

“No. Give me two minutes. I think your mom’s okay with this, but I just want to be sure.” I hesitated. “Unless you don’t want to go.”

He appeared dumbstruck. “Uh, I guess it’s okay.”

I could hear an ongoing discussion in the kitchen as I was descending the stairs. Gloria had clearly made her way back there from the living room.

“I swear, it’s like you think I’m alcoholic,” she said.

“I didn’t use that word, you just did,” Ms. Plimpton replied.

“You don’t have to use it. I know it’s what you mean. Let me ask you this, Madeline. Has it occurred to you that maybe I drink just a titch more than I used to? And have you asked yourself why that might be?”

“We’ve all been through a lot,” her aunt said.

“Oh yes, what you’ve been through, it’s just been terrible. How many times did you show up during the trial? Was it three? Four?”

“It was more than that and you know it, Gloria,” Ms. Plimpton said defensively.

“And when you did come, you know what was interesting? That we had a hard time finding you at the end of the day.”

“Gloria, stop.”

“But one of those days, I did find you. Didn’t I? But not at the end of the day.”

“For God’s sake, this has nothing to do with anything.”

Bob looked at Gloria pleadingly. “Gloria.”

“There you were, coming out of the hotel elevator at eight in the morning with Grant Finch.”

Ms. Plimpton turned away.

“I guess the good news is women your age still like to get their motor running,” Gloria said. She smiled wickedly at Bob. “That’s certainly encouraging for our twilight years, isn’t it, hon?”

Bob gave Ms. Plimpton a strained look of apology. “It’s the wine.”

“No, it’s not,” she said. “She’s never appreciated a damn thing I’ve done for her.”

Gloria waved her arms dramatically. “Oh yes, you came to my rescue after my daddy died. And I should be forever grateful.”

“Can the two of you just stop this?” Bob said. “I swear to God. Or maybe you should just fight to the death. I don’t know that I even fucking care any more.” He turned to leave. “I need to make a call to Galen. There’s something I forgot to ask him about.”

“Galen, Galen, Galen,” Gloria said. “Maybe you should marry him.”

“Damn it, would you knock it off? Galen’s been a great help to us.”

“Oh, I forgot,” Gloria said. “He’s been swell.”