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accessory Nirvana. How’s Daddy?”
    Her mother a dismissive ‘pfft’ noise, and Suzanne could almost see her casually flicking her long, elegant fingers. “Stop stalling, Suzanne Eleanor Headley! I want to know how your date went last night.”
    She sighed. Of course her mother wanted to know about her date. With Antoine, of the couched derision and dislike of music.
    “It was… nice.” She really didn’t want to spend the next twenty minutes on the phone with her mother, dissecting every aspect of her date, and if she complained, they would. Her mother would want to know what he’d done, and then probably try and change her mind.
    Suzanne knew her mother meant well, but her idea of what was good for Suzanne, and Suzanne’s idea were often fairly far apart.
    When her grandmother was alive, she would always encourage her to stand up to her mother. “Follow your heart, baby. I promise you, it will never steer you wrong. You just have to listen to it. Really listen.”
    She felt again the pang of loss as she thought of the warm, giving, supportive woman who’d been such a large figure in her life growing up. Her parents were loving, but not in the same all-encompassing, expressive way her grandmother had been. She’d always needed that.
    When her grandmother passed away last year, just before she graduated college, Suzanne had been devastated. She missed her every day.
    Suzanne realized her mother was talking and she’d missed some of what had been said.
    “Marcia said he was just raving about you, darling. I knew you two would hit it off. Daddy says there might be a future for Antoine at his firm, if he ever wanted to move from Wall Street to the courtroom. He graduated in the top ten percent of his class at Brown, you know.”
    “Mother.” She groaned. They’d been on one date, and her father was already talking about getting him a job at his firm? That was several steps beyond even marriage! My God, even if she’d had a good time last night, she wouldn’t be thinking anything so serious so soon.
    What if it had been Brandon?
    The traitorous thought invaded her mind and her eyes slid over to the flowers. She’d gone on a date with Antoine last night, and he hadn’t even called like he said he was going to. She’d only shared a brief conversation with Brandon, and he’d sent flowers.
    “Don’t ‘Mother’ me, Suzanne. I just want what’s best for you.”
    This was a common refrain in their conversations. Usually it came up when her mother was trying to get her to agree to something she wasn’t very enthusiastic about. And it was very hard to argue with, because she knew her mother was sincere. She did want what was best for Suzanne. They just had very different ideas what that was.
    Rebuffing her mother’s heartfelt attempts to organize her life was difficult at the best of times, and impossible others. Especially with her grandmother no longer around to snort and say, “Leave the girl alone, Monique. She’s got to make her own way in the world, just like you did.”
    “Sorry, Mother. I know you do.”
    “So…” Her mother drew the word out for several syllables, and Suzanne’s stomach dropped. “Your father is having a small gathering tonight. Just a few friends, for cocktails.”
    Suzanne rested her forehead in her palm. “That’s sort of short notice, Mom.”
    Her mother laughed lightly. “Well, I’m down to ‘Mom’, so you’re wavering.”
    Of course she was. She almost always wavered. She knew how important these functions were for her father. As much as she abhorred them, she didn’t want to let her parents down. “I wouldn’t be able to stay for long, though.”
    “Oh, no! Just a drink or two with a couple of people from Daddy’s firm, that’s all. I promise. So, you’ll come?”
    Yet another night she’d have to forgo a really good yoga pants veg session. The weekend would be there soon; she’d hopefully get some down time then.
    “Alright, I’ll come. For a little