The next day at school, Patty knocks on my classroom door after third period. “Got a minute?” she asks.
“Sure.”
She closes the door and leans her hip against the bench closest to my desk.
“Sorry for running out on you and Nina like that last night,” I say.
She waves off my comment. “Don’t worry about that. Your sister is a real hoot. Haven’t laughed so much in ages.” She strokes her chin with her fingers for an instant. “But I wanted to say something to you. Something I wanted to say yesterday but didn’t get a chance to.”
“Be my guest.”
“I don’t want to overstep any boundaries, Ella, but what you said about your parents’ marriage yesterday struck a chord with me.” She stretches her fingers and seems to study her nails for a second. “Whatever thoughts you have in your head about their
