By the time it was almost six-thirty, Gretchenโs house had settled into that strange, overfull calm that came right before everybody scattered.
Ben had come back an hour ago with three bulging McDonaldโs bags and four drink carriers of Coke, like fast food and sugar might somehow smooth out the porn disaster, the pregnancy reveal, Harry and Quinnโs fight, the entire week from hell. It hadnโt fixed anything, obviously. But it had helped. A little. Enough for the house to stop feeling like it