Page 132 of A Dream for Daphne

“It’s nice to have one in the closet,” she said.

“Weddings and funerals and all,” her mother said, laughing. “Dad’s suit was more than my dress.”

Her mother always went back to money. “I’m sure you can afford it.”

Her mother smirked. Which said Aster paid for it all.

Not her problem. Nor her concern.

She felt a hand come around her back and turned to see Abe next to her.

“Hey,” he said. “I was looking for you.”

“Just getting some air and visiting with my mother.”

Her mother took her last drag on the cigarette and snuffed it out.

She could see her mother looking for a place to toss it and probably was going to put it on the ground, but Abe said, “There is a bin over there. I’ll take it for you.”

He reached his hand out to grab the butt and walked over to dispose of it.

“He has such manners,” her mother said. “No one would have known or cared if it was on the grass. They’ll have maintenance clean up after weddings.”

“I would have known,” she said. “There are bins there for a reason. Not to mention a lot of people use vape pens now so there is no waste left places.”

Her parents wouldn’t think that. They wouldn’t care either.

“It’s all good,” her mother said. “I don’t need to carry all that around when I can stuff a pack in my purse.”

She rolled her eyes. Nothing she could do about any of it and wasn’t going to even try.

Abe came back over. “Not many people left, is there?” she asked.

“Not really. Just immediate family at this point,” he said. “Most of those with kids left not that long ago.”

“Which is a lot,” she said, laughing. She’d said bye to her bosses about twenty minutes ago when she came out here to talk with her mother.

“Seems like you really struck gold with Poppy,” her mother said. “Both of my kids working for the same place.”

“Not sure it’s the same place or not,” Daphne said. “I work for Poppy and Reese and fall under his business. Aster works for Blossoms and falls under their business.”

“But you’ve got Poppy in common. She seems like a good time. I have to admit I was shocked to hear you got hurt. Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“Who told you?” she asked. She hadn’t wanted them to know. They’d be filling her head with pressure to sue or take more time off.

“I overheard Aster’s doctor asking how your shoulder was doing and if it was giving you problems. What happened? It’s not like you to go to the doctor for anything, so it had to be bad.”

“Nothing much,” she said. “I fell and dislocated my shoulder.”

She looked at Abe to not say anything else. He held his lips sealed. For once!

“And knowing you, you would have continued to work rather than take it easy,” her mother said.

“I wanted to work,” she said. “There was no reason not to, but I did take the time off that I was instructed to. Then I returned and it’s all good.”

“I would have milked it,” her mother said. “But you’re only watching kids. Not a big deal. Just put the TV on.”

She heard Abe snort next to her after he stiffened. “Sure, Mom. It’s easy like that.”

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