Mist Fades Into the Clouds

Summary

Alan's stomach was acting up, so I spent the morning making his favorite chicken soup. I drove to his university lab, but a sign at the entrance stopped me cold: "No Dogs or Mia Hayes Allowed"—with my photo attached. I was reaching for my phone to call Alan when a bucket of icy water crashed down from above, drenching me.

Jessy White, his star student, leaned out a window, feigning surprise. "Mia! What's a housewife doing at the lab? You should be at home!" she chirped. "And don’t mind the sign—it’s just an inside joke. You wouldn’t get it."