"Mom said I can't go to Becky's party," a young voice murmured into the phone, echoing off the kitchen walls. A sigh of disappointment followed, punctuating the silence. "I know, I know," she said, her tone weary, "but she's just not happy unless she's in control."

The girl, Lily, slammed the phone onto the counter, frustration etching lines into her smooth forehead. She felt the weight of her mother's disapproval, a heavy blanket she...