saw me notice.
Her smile widened enough to tell me it was deliberate.
“Oh, Patricia, I’m so sorry. Work has been a nightmare, and Mom’s oven started acting up.”
Brenda nodded gravely as if she’d survived a natural disaster.
“We simply couldn’t manage anything.”
Rachel patted my arm.
“But we knew you’d make your usual spread.”
There it was.
Not a misunderstanding.
A test.
They expected backups because I always made them.
Rachel confidently headed toward the dining room.
Then stopped.
The table was beautifully set.
Candles.
Good china.
Water
