No sooner had her daughter arrived home from State for Thanksgiving break than Mary noticed Grace’s nose ring. How could anyone miss it! I’ve failed as a parent, she thought. Sure, raising Grace from age 11 after Rob decamped with his secretary had been a challenge, but she hadn’t realized ... An utter failure! She decided to hold her tongue.

But at bedtime she could no longer keep quiet. “What are you, a cow?”

Grace smiled a taunting sort of smile, lowered the bodice of her nightie to show a nipple free of jewelry, and said, “Moo,” then padded down the hall to her bedroom.