It all starts innocently enough. Bethany, a freshman at Barclay’s, asks school administrator Mr. Hendersen if it would be all right if her parents visited the school for a weekend. There are two guest suites on the first floor of the school building, so Mr. Hendersen tells Bethany that her parents “are more than welcomed.” And so the visit is arranged.
Bethany’s parents . . . whose names are Bob and Alice . . . have a pleasant weekend stay at the school. They enjoy firsthand the camaraderie of the students, and they delight in some of the amenities the school has to offer.
And something catches Alice’s fancy, for when it comes time for her to leave she asks her husband if he would mind her staying on “for just another day or two.” Bob tells her that it is fine, and Mr. Hendersen also approves of the extended visit. So Alice stays.
She attends some of her daughter’s classes. She eats in the cafeteria with the students. And she even goes outdoors to watch the girls play lacrosse in a gym class. And something in her . . . a young girl yearning to burst out perhaps . . . is taken by the charm of the school, and two days turn into a week, and a week turns into two weeks.
Alice attends some classes . . . other than her daughter’s. She plays ping pong up in the juniors’ game room. She eats ice cream with a few of the seniors in their kitchen. And, during school meals, she is welcomed to sit at any number of tables.
Two weeks turn into four weeks. Alice plays lacrosse in a gym class. She is given text books and participates in classes. And she studies in the senior library. A few of the girls bring her down to the free stuff room where she finds some pumps and a nice Laura Ashley dress that fit her perfectly. She changes the way she keeps her hair . . . pulling it back into a ponytail.
Alice’s daughter Bethany is maybe a little uncomfortable with the situation, but her mom “never bothers me.” and none of the other students seem to mind. Indeed, Alice has been accepted as a sort of honorary member of the student body. So Bethany stops worrying about it. Alice’s husband Bob is perhaps the most understanding person in the entire episode, telling her “Do what your heart tells you.” And so Alice stays . . . with the “visit” now passing the five week mark.