Should've Taken that Left Turn at Orchid Bay
Cindy had taken the train down from Gateway to Star to have this conversation with her mother at one of Claire's many offices. She supposed it was worth the trip. It had gone... okay.
"And this isn't some kind of joke?" her mother had said. "You seriously..."
"Yes, Mom. I seriously have a girlfriend."

And then her mother had had a meeting. Again. Cindy, sighing, had started walking huffily back towards the train station when her mother had managed to put the business out of the way long enough to call her cell phone -- not to insist she come back, but to ask if this sudden abrupt love life had anything to do with her dad not paying enough attention to her.

As Cindy sighingly explained and argued and discussed and asked that things not be about her dad for moment, she made the mistake of continuing to walk while concentrating on her flustered conversation.

She walked quite a long way, in fact. Eventually, she realized this.

"Look, Mom, I'm going to have to call you back."

Cindy hoped like hell she could get a taxi out of here.