It had been a long week, and all I wanted was to collapse and pretend the world didn’t exist for a few hours. So I went home after work, kicked off my shoes, turned off my phone, and flopped onto my bed like a sack of potatoes. With the Gallagher's project still looming over my head, plus a dozen other half‑finished tasks staring me down, I felt like my brain had filed a formal resignation.
I barely had time to drift into actual sleep when I sensed a presence beside me. I opened one eye—and yes, there she was: Mom, standing over my bed like a ghost that delivered unsolicited life advice.
“Mom, what are you doing here?” I groaned, already wishing for a rewind button.
“Toby, I came to check on you,” she said, hands on her hips like she owned the universe. “Your friend Ethan has been blowi
