The warm afternoon sun slanted through the living room window, creating a streak of golden light across the floor. Ben lounged on the couch, absentmindedly flicking through his phone while the muffled hum of vacuuming drifted from the other room. Brooke, his mother, appeared in the doorway, her sleeves rolled up and a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead. With a hand on her hip, she called out over the noise of the vacuum...