Addy straightened her dress and squared her shoulders.

“You look like you’re going to war,” Nikki teased.

“You have no idea,” Honey muttered.

“It’s fine,” Addy said. “Good posture is important.”

They crossed the plush carpet of the main lobby. She didn’t spend a lot of time in the more guest-friendly parts of Maxwell’s, so it felt a little odd.

Addy’s mom stood by the big staircase.

Sarah Barnes was barely five foot two, but she had always seemed to be much larger to Addy. Ensconced in a flowered wraparound dress, she held herself ramrod straight, feet shoulder-width apart as if she were about to fight the heavyweight champion or take a tumbling pass.

“Hi, Mom,” Addy said.

“Adelaide,” her mother said fondly, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind Addy’s ear. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks,” Addy grinned.

“Presents later,” her mother teased.

“Hi, Mrs. Barnes,” Honey said.

“Hello, Honey,” Sarah replied. “And you must be Nikki.”

“Yes, hello,” Nikki said, suddenly shy.

Addy marveled at the tiny woman’s ability to have that effect on people.

“Are you ladies ready to go out?” Sarah asked. “I know you get spoiled here with restaurant privileges, so I thought maybe we’d go for burgers and shakes.”

“Mom, you’re the best,” Addy told her.

They headed out to the guest lot where her mom had parked the family car. It was a nondescript American thing, about seven years old. Sarah Barnes did not borrow money for cars and she didn’t fuss over extras. Everything she had went to Addy’s education.

But the car was washed and tidy inside. Just like the pretty flowered dress Sarah had worn on every special occasion Addy could remember.

Well-kept was a phrase that suited Sarah Barnes to a tee.

“So, how’s the summer going?” Sarah peeked over the top of the steering wheel nervously as she piloted them over the one-lane bridge.

“Great, Mrs. Barnes,” Honey said from the backseat.

“Is my daughter letting her hair down a little?”

“Yes, she sure is,” Honey said.

Addy looked over the seat at Honey.

Honey gave her an enormous wink.

Addy gave Honey a look that she hoped said don’t-you-dare-talk-about-aliens. She’d been pretty explicit about not mentioning anything about the boys in front of her mom, but she still worried that Honey was so over-the-moon for Kitt that she might not be able to help herself.

Honey gave an innocent shrug.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Addy’s mom said. “She works very hard all year. It was important to her dad and me that she get a little break in the summers.”

The rest of the ride passed pleasantly. Addy told her mother all about the kids’ swimming lessons, the parties at the staff commons cabin, and everything she could think of that didn’t involve Remington.

She found herself surprised at how many stories she had to swallow down because they revolved around him for one reason or another. As much as she wanted to see her interest in the big man as purely physical, he had worked his way into her routine and her heart more than she’d realized.

Once they were settled in a cozy booth, burgers eaten, and milkshakes in front of them, Sarah opened her purse and made a big show of pulling something out.

“Well, birthday girl, it’s not exactly the most fun thing ever, but it’s a little splurge,” her mom said, handing her an envelope.

“Thanks, Mom,” Addy said, taking it with a smile.

Everyone leaned in and Addy slowly released the flap of the envelope and removed a card and a folded piece of paper.

She unfolded the paper first and read the writing on it.

Dr. Fleurs MCAT Prep Gift Certificate $500

“Mom, no way,” she breathed.

She saw Nikki glance at Honey as if to gauge her reaction to such a sensible present, but Addy didn’t care.

She wrapped an arm around her mom and squeezed her tight.

“Thanks so much, Mama. I can’t believe you did this.”

Sarah shrugged, but her cheeks were pink with obvious pleasure.

“You guys, this is the best MCAT prep,” Addy told her friends.

“That’s awesome,” Honey said.

“Um, wow,” said Nikki.

“Open the card,” her mom urged.

Addy pulled the card closer, flipped it over.

There was a scene of a lake and an island, reminiscent of Maxwell’s with the words Happy Birthday embossed in gold lettering at the top.

Addy smiled and opened it.

I love you, Addy. Happy Birthday! Your father would have been so proud to see his grown-up daughter so hardworking, wise and open hearted. May this year be filled with success of EVERY kind!

Love,

Mama

The message brought a prickle of tears to Addy’s eyes. But when she saw what was affixed to the card her eyes blurred over.

Her father’s silver signet ring, covered in tiny nicks and scratches, on a long black nylon string.

She knew without touching it that the inside bore her mother’s message to her father: You are my heart. This ring had been her first anniversary gift to him.

After he died, her mom had worn it on a silver chain around her neck every day. Addy hadn’t even noticed she wasn’t wearing it tonight.

“That cord is water safe, in case you forget to take it off,” her mother said in a tight voice.

“Mom,” Addy said, but then her voice broke and she couldn’t say anymore, couldn’t tell her mother that it was too much, that there was no way she could possibly take this sweet reminder from her.

“You need it, baby,” her mother whispered into her hair. “I think there’s some magic in it, a lightness he left behind, to make us feel at peace.”

“Mom,” Addy sobbed quietly.

“Look at me,” her mother said.

Addy pulled back and looked at her perfect mother, the paragon of hard work and virtue, and wondered if she would ever be able to measure up - to earn all that goodness.

“We’re going to be okay, Adelaide,” Mom said with a smile. “We are okay. And the future will be better than the present.”

“Yes,” Addy agreed. She would do anything in her power to ensure it.

Just then a posse of waitresses approached with four cupcakes, one with a lit candle in it.

“Oh, Mom, you didn’t,” Addy said, pretending to be embarrassed.

Her mom threw an arm around her shoulder.

Honey cackled and Nikki smiled.

And the four women sat back and listened to the restaurant’s silly proprietary birthday song.

There was love enough in Addy’s life without a man. The proof was in the pudding.