I take a forkful and nearly chip my tooth. Gram didn’t cook it long enough. I forgot to double-check and set the timer for her.

“Sorry, Gram,” I rush to say. “I forgot to set the timer like you asked me to. I was texting with Olivia and got distracted. I must have poured it in the strainer too soon.”

Gram blinks in confusion. “You did?”

Mom puts another pot of water on to boil. “We’ll just make some more. Your sauce is delicious as usual, Sue. Don’t worry, Lulu. You’re still learning. I remember when I first started to cook. I nearly burned the kitchen down.”

My cheeks tremble when I smile. Taking the fall for Gram is worth Mom thinking I can’t even set a timer right. If it means Gram stays with us, then I’ll take the blame for every last thing.

Olivia’s mom drops her off just as we’re finishing dinner. “Hi, all,” Olivia says with a wave. She sticks her tongue out at Clay and he giggles.

“Hello, dear,” Mom says. “Love the bracelets.”

Olivia lifts her arm and shakes the silver bangles. “Thanks, Mrs. C.”

“Dad said we could go to the park,” I tell Mom.

She looks over in surprise and glances at Gram. “Um, I guess that sounds okay. What do you think, Sue?”

Gram hands Clay his juice before glancing over at me. “You girls didn’t get your fill of each other today?”

I push my chair out. “Olivia has something she needs to talk to me about. It’s personal stuff.”

Olivia shuffles nervously and manages to look suitably pathetic.

“As long as you follow the rule to be back before dark,” Gram says. “Does that sound reasonable, Rose?”

Mom nods and smiles at Olivia. “How are your mom and dad? I haven’t spoken to Felicity in weeks.”

Olivia’s eyes dart from Mom to me like she doesn’t know what to say. I stare back at her with a faint frown. Olivia always knows what to say. “She’s busy with… um… her job.”

“We’ll be back before dark,” I say, linking arms with Olivia and tugging her out of the kitchen.

We’re halfway down the driveway when I whisper, “Thanks for coming.”

“Well, you needed me, so…”

I smile. “So, about your personal stuff.”

Her giggle is the same from earlier today. The forced laugh, the one that stretches her mouth too wide. “Funny. Now, tell me why we’re going to the park. Don’t you have piles of photo albums you still need to look at? I can help.”

“I told Max to meet us there.”

She tugs me to a stop. “What! Did he find something about your gram?”

I start walking again. “He said he found something, and I didn’t want him to bring it to the house.”