"Jeanette! Where are you? How come you're not back yet? You said three days!"
Her tone shifted, dripping with warmth. "We're at your front door right now. We were worried you'd be lonely, so we thought the whole family could have dinner together, catch up a little."
If I hadn't already known exactly what she was after, I might have actually believed she cared.
I kept my voice light, a little flustered. "Wait, you're at the house? Why didn't you call me first?"
"My parents just can't bear to let Caroline go yet. We decided to stay a few extra days, so I bought tickets for the day after tomorrow."
I paused, then added, "How about this—I'll bring Caroline over to see you all when we get back?"
Leila let out a dry laugh. "Oh, I see. My fault, then. I should've called ahead."
"Mom can't bear to be away from you. She's been thinking about you and Caroline these past few days, worried sick you might do something rash."
"When you two come back, let us come to you instead. You'll be exhausted from the trip."
Kay leaned in, her voice dripping with false concern. "Jeanette, don't push yourself too hard."