When I got to Phil’s house, I’d just jogged up his front steps when the front door opened.
Katarina took one look at me and sighed.
“Good morning, Mrs. Echevarria. I was going to ask for permiss—”
“Yes, yes,” Katarina mumbled, taking a step backwards, waving Phil out. “Go on.”
He took a step out the door, glancing back at her, probably just as confused as me. “Is that . . . a yes?” he wondered.
“Did I say yes?” she asked, pursing her lips.
Phil glanced back at me, confused, and I just shrugged. I wasn’t sure what she was playing at here but from the dark circles under her eyes, I didn’t think she was in the mood to joke around with us. “Uh, yeah,” Phil mumbled, glancing back at his mom. “I mean, um, you did say yes, technically, but I’m just making sure—”
