Chapter 198

• “I wanted to,” she chirped. “Here, come eat with us.”
• I grabbed the plate, put her recommended toppings on my serving, and followed her back to the living room to sit in my recliner. The TV was playing a popular show about a single mother raising her daughter alone in a small town. I felt a familiar pang of regret, but since I didn’t want to put a damper on Jenny’s good mood, I ignored it, choosing to eat my dinner in silence while the girls quoted their favorite lines to each other from the couch.
• I had just gotten up to take my plate to the sink when someone knocked on the door.