Mother Is Gone For An Alarming Length Of Time

(My mother is away for ten days and my dad, my twin sister, and I are just starting to get used to her absence. On the second morning, my sister and I wake up to a loud beeping sound from our parents’ room. It’s our mother’s alarm.)

Sister: *rolling over to look at me* “Two questions: What is that, and, more importantly, can you shut it off?”