“Listen, when you go to college I want you to take a break from this. I’m not saying stop it forever, but promise me for at least the first semester you’ll concentrate on school, and making friends, and all of the things you’re supposed to be doing in college.”

Alexa said nothing.

“Alexa? I need you to promise.”

In a very tiny voice, so tiny it could have been coming from a far corner of the eating area, or even from the outer reaches of the marshes, Alexa said, “I’m not going to college.”

“I’m sorry,” said Rebecca. “What?”

“You don’t owe that first tuition payment. Don’t pay it. We don’t owe it. I’m not going.”

“What do you mean? You mean you’re not going as in you want to take a gap year?” Rebecca was against gap years but she tried really hard to be open-minded, the way Peter might have been.

“I turned down my spot.”

“You what?” The background noise receded; it was as if both Rebecca and Alexa had gone into portrait mode, with everything around them slightly blurry and unimportant.

“I turned down my spot. I have a plan. I want to move to L.A.”

“By yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Absolutely not.”

“You can’t tell me absolutely not. I’m almost an adult.”

“Yes I can. You’re not moving to L.A. No way, Alexa. No way. You shouldn’t have given up Colby without talking to me about it. We should have discussed this.” She couldn’t believe it! Alexa had taken her future, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it in the garbage. How had Rebecca not known she’d given up her place at Colby? She’d been too distracted by her own life, that was how. She’d failed.

Rebecca watched the old Alexa rear up, the defensive, contemptuous Alexa, the one that these past weeks with Cam had mellowed and calmed, and this version of Alexa spit back, “Oh yeah? Well, you should have told me that you’re seeing someone!”

Rebecca felt herself flush. “What do you mean?”

“You are, right? If you’re not, feel free to deny it.”

Rebecca stayed silent.

“I knew it! I saw a text on your phone, in June. And ever since then it’s been clear that you’re sneaking around.”

Rebecca remained silent, marveling at Alexa’s abilities to turn the tables.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Mom?”

Rebecca sighed and wiped her fingers neatly with a paper napkin, one by one. “Lots of reasons,” she said. “For one thing, I didn’t know if it was something lasting. For another, you know him.”

“I do? Who is it?”

Here we go, thought Rebecca. From here on in there’s no going back. “Mr. Bennett. He teaches at the high school.”

Alexa looked horrified. “Mr. Bennett, my Intro to the Stock Market teacher Mr. Bennett?”