They stopped by Vaughan’s house for a few minutes. Kelly hadn’t been inside it since the divorce, but it hadn’t changed much. Half the furniture in the place was something she’d bought.

“Yes, that’s the couch you bought. I’m still sleeping in our old bed.”

All night long she’d been holding on. Because that was what she was supposed to do. She was a grown-up. She had dinner with her former in-laws and managed to even have a decent time. She’d agonized over what to wear, but that was okay, too.

She’d held on, trying to keep the fiction that everything was just fine when in all truth, she was excited and scared and worried she’d mess it all up.

What if she couldn’t make this work? What if she tried her hardest and it still didn’t work out? What would happen to their daughters? Had she been foolhardy? She should have gone slower maybe.

Kelly held the pudgy corgi, who seemed content to be exactly where she was, as her daughters gave her a tour of the house. Vaughan had tried to explain to them that Kelly had been there before, a long time ago. They were more about showing off and sharing something they knew than really giving her a tour.

“I’m not sure your mother is going to like it when I put this dog in the car and we run off with her.”

Vaughan grinned. “I got the dog for the girls without asking you. Remember? Then my mom stole her when I was on tour. But she looks pretty darned happy with you. We’d need a dog door. Supplies.”

“Make it so, Number One. I dig this little dog. Though I don’t want to actually steal the dog from your mom. I’d be sad if someone stole Minnie from me.”

“They weren’t supposed to take her forever. Just until I got back from tour. And then I moved in with you. But I promise to clear it with her first.”

“Well, talk to her about it first. Let’s not make a thing if we can avoid it.”

They took Minnie back to Sharon and Michael’s. She tucked Minnie into her bed. “I think I’ll be springing you soon. Mum’s the word,” Kelly whispered to the dog, who licked her before she tucked herself into a little ball and went to sleep.

* * *

EVERYONE THOUGHT PARENTING was pretty easy until they did it. Kelly didn’t want to freak anyone out but Kensey had too much sugar and was way past cute and precocious and well into bratty territory by the time they’d arrived at the gallery opening.

As they’d arrived, some horrible scene had been breaking up between Tuesday and the parents of her dead husband. Vaughan, concerned, rushed off to get caught up to speed while Kelly shadowed their daughters, trying to keep their hands to themselves.

Art gallery openings and kids were things to mix very sparingly.

Maddie was more patient than her little sister due to age, but also temperament. Maddie was introspective. She thought hard about things. Kensey emoted. All the time. Usually while moving at seventy-five miles an hour.

And right then she wanted to touch. Everything.

Finally, Kelly took Kensey’s hand. “We’re going outside for a moment,” she told Vaughan on their way past. “Maddie needs your supervision unless you want to buy everything in the store she breaks. Tuesday would probably prefer to sell them under different circumstances.”

He snapped to attention and she led Kensey outside. They sat on a nearby planter.

“I know there’s a lot of stuff you want to touch. You want to look at it up close and see how the light hits it. You want to see how heavy it is. If it’s smooth or rough. I understand. But this is Tuesday’s special night and if you broke something she’d be sad. Oh sure, she has good manners so she’d act like it was no big deal. But it would be and then you’d be sad because you would have hurt her feelings.”

Kensey’s bottom lip quivered a moment. “I don’t want to make Tuesday sad. She’s nice and pretty and she teases Uncle Ezra until his grumpy face goes away and he smiles. She would be mad at me, huh?”

Kelly let Kensey climb into her lap. “She would be sad. Which is worse than mad. Because you like her and respect her talent, you need to take care around her things. Like a big girl. I know you can do it. We’ll go soon, but Tuesday is family and we want to celebrate with family. This is Tuesday’s big night.”

Kensey slid off Kelly’s lap. Tuesday stood near the windows, talking to Vaughan and Ezra.

“Why don’t you go in, tell her how much you like her work and then you can come out here with me. You can dance here in this courtyard until it’s time to go. Okay?”

“Okay, Mommy.” She kissed Kelly and then went back inside, heading straight to Tuesday.

Kelly gathered Kensey’s sweater and her bag and turned, nearly running Sharon down.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

“I heard all that,” Sharon said. “I remember what it was like having kids that age. So much energy. Hard to keep still.”

“Kensey and still have a very tense relationship.” Kelly smiled, watching her children through the window.

“I was an asshole for years. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I’ve said that was cruel and hurtful. He told us the truth. But you could have many times. Why didn’t you?”

Kelly, still stunned by the apology, worked to find her reply. “If I had, it would have been to hurt the father of my children. As hurtful as the cheating was, as being thrown away by him was, he loves Maddie and Kensey. And you. You’re his mother. What could I have said? You knew he wasn’t a choirboy. Long before I came around. And it was over. I didn’t tell you because that’s something my mother would have done.”