After having showered and dressed in the same clothes from the day before, I had a chance to study the apartment in daylight. The living room had sliding glass doors that opened up to a small patio and the backyard. I wondered whether Gwen had been allowed to use the entire yard, or whether she’d been confined to the patio.

At 10 A.M., I joined everyone upstairs for a late breakfast.

“Hello, beauty!” Amelia called out in a vibrant, positive voice.

I didn’t often experience the Straub house in the morning light. The southern light streamed in through the skylight from above—an intense, unfiltered, unrelenting California kind of light. I had a fresh surge of appreciation for the Straubs’ architectural talent.

The dining table was already set, including a place for me. I sat down and Fritz brought me a cappuccino. Amelia served me a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. Her appearance had improved significantly overnight. She’d obviously washed her hair, and her gray roots were less noticeable because she’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail. The circles underneath her eyes had disappeared, likely with the help of her seventy-dollar concealer, which she’d applied for the first time in weeks.

“What if you rent our apartment from us for the rest of the year?” she asked.

Bells echoed in my head, and then Aida again. I feared that my voice would crack if I answered, so I said nothing, hoping that my silence would indicate thoughtfulness, as opposed to hyperventilation or euphoria.

I took a sip of my cappuccino and wiped the foam off my upper lip.

“You’d be close by.” Amelia took a seat next to Natalie.

I thought Amelia expected me to voice an objection or a concern. “My cat,” I said.

Amelia placed her hand on Natalie’s shoulder. “It would be incredible for Natalie.” Natalie looked at her mother’s hand as if it were a bug.

“You can pay the same rent you’re paying now,” Amelia said. “Babysitting would be so much easier.”

“Your cat would like it too,” Natalie said. She was wearing pajamas decorated with question marks of varying colors and sizes. Her long lashes stood out against her pale skin.

I didn’t reply, but, of course, of course, I knew what my answer was.

“Just consider it,” Amelia said. “Especially given what we discussed yesterday. It all makes so much sense.” She raised her eyebrows meaningfully.

I looked at Natalie to see if I detected a reaction, but fortunately, she’d backed away from the confrontation with her mother.

“It’s a beautiful apartment,” I said.

Fritz sat next to me and served himself bacon and eggs. He took a bite of his undercooked bacon. I sensed a fissure in the family. “Only downside is you’ll get sucked into babysitting more often than you want to.” He laughed in a self-deprecating manner.