Willie put her hand on her chest. “Nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Roxie rolled her eyes. “Are you still hungover?”

Willie shot her a look. “I was feeling better, until I was so rudely awoken.”

“Sorry,” Roxie said. “But I didn’t think you’d want to miss this.”

Trina turned the laptop so her grandmother could see the screen better. “We like the middle one the best. What do you think?”

Willie peered at the screen, then nodded. “I think it’s beautiful. And classy. Get it ordered.”

“Okay,” Trina said.

Roxie’s phone buzzed. She looked at it. Claire was ready. She sent a quick message back. Meet you at the car.

Then she nudged Trina. “I need your keys so I can go to the store.”

“Oh, right. They’re in my purse. You want me to get them?”

“I don’t mind. I’m going that way anyway.” She kissed Trina on the cheek. “You have fun surfing in case I’m not back by the time you leave. Be careful, which I know you will be, but still. Don’t get hurt.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Roxie got up and kissed her mom on the cheek, too. “Try to stay out of trouble while I’m gone, all right? We’ll go to the pool this afternoon, if you want.”

Willie nodded. “I would. Some time in the sun might bake the rest of this rum out of me. Say, can I invite Miguel over?”

“Sure, if you want.” Roxie wiggled her fingers at them. “Bye.”

She left the living room and went through the reading nook, stopping at Trina’s room to extract the keys from her purse. Then she took the stairs down to the ground floor. Claire wasn’t there yet, so Roxie walked over to the pool.

The water looked so inviting.

The elevator doors opened and Claire stepped out.

Roxie walked back over. “Ready to go?”

“Yes.” Claire nodded but she was checking Roxie out. “You always look so…”

Roxie braced herself.

“Cute,” Claire finished. Then she exhaled. “I feel like everyone’s mother next to you.”

Roxie laughed. “You are someone’s mother.”

“So are you, but you don’t look like…this.” She indicted herself.

Roxie wasn’t sure what to say to that. She did her best. “So you’re a little curvier. You could dress differently if you wanted.”

“I actually do want.” Claire sighed. “I just don’t have the money right now. I still wouldn’t end up looking like you.”

“What do you mean you don’t have the money? We just got checks for three hundred thousand dollars. I know it wasn’t what we were expecting, but it’s still a lot.”

“I realize that, but I need to put that money in the bank and keep it there so I can be part of the financing for the bakery. I can’t go spending a bunch of it.”

Roxie nodded in understanding. “Okay. Do you have any other money you could spend?”

“I have some. But I’m not sure what a hundred bucks or so is going to buy me when it comes to a new wardrobe.”