AFTER RINGING HER DOORBELL three times and knocking twice, a rather flustered Gladys answers her door. She’s still wearing Hello Kitty pajamas, even though it’s almost noon by the time I get there.
“Dad!” she says, startled. “Hi!”
“Hello, Gladys,” I say. “I just thought I’d stop by and—”
“Gladys, do you have any shampoo?” calls a man’s voice from the back of her apartment.
“Gladys?” I say. “Is—is that Nate?”
“Yes?” she squeaks.
“Did he—did he spend the night?”
“Sort of?”
“Can I come in?”
“Are you going to start yelling?”
“Do I look like Helen to you?” I come in as she moves out of the doorway and closes the door.
I turn to Gladys. “What exactly—”
“OK, Dad, before you freak out,” Gladys says. “There is a very reasonable and non-breaking-of-any-commandments explanation for this.”
