The phone rang at last. “Mom?” Lisa sounded frayed, as if sleep had unraveled in her hands. Relief hit Helen so hard it left her unsteady. “Where are you? What’s going on?”
“Relax, we’re fine,” Lisa said, breezy but breathless. “Just got back from vacation. The kids are wiped. Can you take them for a few days?”
Vacation. The word snapped like a twig in winter. “You vanished for nearly two weeks,” Helen said, calm as ice. “And now you want pancakes?”
