until the noon, stil

arpet, staring blankly at the

son" lit up

d for a moment

right. "Hey Claire! How do

ack slightly. "

ckle, then quickly shifted tone. "Has Nels

d her gaze. "

's been three years. Time you two caught up.

ivorce," Claire said evenly. "

le

ed voice. "Claire. are yo

sn't that wh

she could recover, Claire spoke again, her ton

Since you're back, you have to come

eyebrow but did

na's older sister. Everyone coming tonight is someone important. If y

rning sharp despite

e for you to see how things

't loud, but it was enough to make

he spotlight. Just an adopted daughter who almost died oversea

oked on

ing me so 'sincerely,'

say another word, C

went dark i

de the window, p

e of short honks came

ced at the

es earlier than Nels

idn't

again. Claire l

Nelson's vo

e replied, but did

e closet and stood in front

. Faded jeans. Wor

with light shadows under he

the look she

ang again-i

ut of the bedroom, crossed the livi

er idled in

iver's side door, phone in h

the door openi

o notice the flicker o

ogetic smile. "Sorry, got cau

st opened the door and slid

to the backseat, re

n, Nelson's crisp voice came f

, then calmly replied, "The

t in and closed t

ooked at her through

the window, her prof

fit looked comple

er dressed like that?" he finally said,

realized. "What's wrong with it? It's just a fa

family attending tonight. Yo

shot bac

sive attitude only t

om the passenger seat an

he ordered. "Don't m

eavy, wrapped

leek gold-stamp

esses, Sprince was a nam

t this for Serena? Seem

na's. It's a brand-new design from the

ally divorced, you still re

owing up like that a

-over. "You've got twen

tion settled over her. Nothing had changed in three years.

n his approval once, and n

never mattered

few beats, then slowly

she said

ithout a backward glance an

, tugging at his coll

was throwing him off, and