Preparing Her For Adulthood

Lola Sinn bursts through the front door still in her school uniform, cheeks pink, and blurts that she’s moving in with her best friend once college starts. Sarah Taylor’s on the couch in yoga pants and a thin tank top; she arches an eyebrow, half proud, half worried, and asks if her step-daughter’s really ready for laundry, bills, and ass-crack-of-dawn chores. Lola scoffs—she’s not a kid—and Sarah shoots back that she already handles half of Lola’s life. ‘Fine,’ Sarah smirks, ‘prove it. Do one full day of real housework with me tomorrow.’ Lola’s grin is cocky; cleaning can’t be that brutal.