‘What’s wrong with her?’ ‘Shes mad at me,’ her mom replied, she took her shoes off and hung her coat up on the rack. ‘Why?’ ‘Because ... wont let her go to a binge-drinking party.’ ‘Oh……,’ Katy couldnt understand, her sister always went to those and didnt even bother asking for permission. She wondered what made the difference this time. ‘Don’t worry about it, she’ll be fine.’ her mother’s expression was grim. Much to grim for a simple argument. There was more to the story, but she didnt want to. I pause to admire myself again in the hall mirror. What a vaingirl I am.In the kitchen I put the kettle on and raid the fridge. I getout bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms. I cut slicesof bread to fry. Within a few minutes heavenly smells of freshcoffee and fried breakfast pervade the room.Soon I have it all ready for Leah on a tray: coffee, OJ, thefull English and of course, the Sunday paper. Slowly andcarefully in my heels, I carry the tray upstairs. Trying to holdthe tray in one. Later, Lisa went on to Stanford on an Academic Scholarship. She didn't come home much, except when her father or I threatened to revoke her car insurance. During her senior year, no amount of persuasion could get her home. I even lied that, Richard was coming over. Something kept her in Palo Alto that year?About a week before she came home, was her father's "heart attack." We delayed the funeral until she was back with the family. Richard was off on a work trip, so Pamela and the girls came to. She seated the table, and I had Edie to my left. She returned the jacket and thanked me for my kindness. I brushed off the comment, but secretly treasured her words. I held her dinner chair for her, and I even got a laugh from her when I put her napkin in her lap the way I'd seen a maître d' do in an upscale restaurant. Mindy's friend Rita saw me do that, and gave me a conspiratorial wink.Dinner eventually got us all talking about various subjects: books, movies, our work – past and present,.