“No.” Liza stuffed a pair of shoes into her bag. “Dad is at a work event. And someone has to stay with you.”

“But where are you going? You never go away without Dad.”

Another thing that had to change.

Liza grabbed her keys and money. “I’m driving to Oakwood tonight.”

“Why?” Alice frowned. “Granny isn’t even there.”

“I know. Granny is probably drinking cocktails on a rooftop bar in Chicago, because she’s sensible and knows how to enjoy life.” I’m a novice at that, Liza thought, but I’m going to learn. “I’m going to check on Popeye and have some time for myself.”

She could see the girls looking at each other, trying to figure out how serious this was. For once their mother seemed to be following her own agenda, and that was so alien to them they had no idea how to handle it.

“Does Dad know you’re going?”

“I’m going to write him a note right now.” She snatched a pen from her bag and found a scrap of paper.

Sean, I’ve decided to go to Oakwood. I want to check on the house, the cat, and spend some time there. She almost scribbled, keep an eye on the girls, but then remembered she was going to stop organizing other people’s lives. Let him decide whether he needed to keep an eye on them, or not. Should she wish him Happy Anniversary? No, that would be petty, and he might think this was all about the fact he’d forgotten when it went so much deeper than that. Instead she signed off Love Liza x.

She left the note on the pillow, proud that she hadn’t given way to her inner toddler who was ready to yell, You forgot our anniversary.

Caitlin looked alarmed. “But what are we supposed to do?”

“Do about what?” Liza transferred her purse, phone and car keys to a bag that didn’t remind her of work. Did she have everything she needed? Probably not, but the most important thing was to leave before she changed her mind. Her sense of responsibility was already tapping on the edges of her conscience. Hello, remember me?

Liza ignored the tapping. Just because someone knocked on the door, didn’t mean you had to open it.

“We have lots going on this week,” Caitlin said. “Summer activities. You always drive us. What about lunches?”

“Figure it out. Think of it as another summer activity, only instead of learning tennis, or drama, you’ll be learning self-sufficiency.” Liza grabbed the books she’d been saving for France and tucked them into her bag.

“But the difference is that tennis and drama are, like, fun.”