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stopped with the fact that we’re not the same size,” I said with a smile. “Mentioning my weight was just plain mean.”
    “I didn’t mean anything by it,” she said with a frown, finally breaking out of her level tone.
    “I know that,” I said, trying to laugh. “Do you want my honest opinion?”
    “Of course I do,” she said as she looked at me. It was as though she were drowning, and I might have a rope to pull her out.
    I studied the dresses again, and then made my choice. “You should wear the blue one.”
    She glanced at the dress to her left, looked away, and then studied it again. “Do you honestly think so?”
    “Absolutely. It’s perfect.”
    “Fine,” she said. “Blue it is.”
    After she slipped into it, I applauded. “Wow, Momma, you look beautiful.”
    “Nonsense,” she said, but I could see her trying to hide her smile. “I haven’t been anywhere close to beautiful in years.”
    “I beg to differ. Look in the mirror.”
    She glanced at the full-length mirror, and I could see a glint of approval in her eyes as she brushed a few nonexistent wrinkles away.
    “I suppose that it will just have to do,” Momma said.
    “Don’t sell yourself short; it’s a lot better than that. Chief Martin will be ecstatic.”
    “Not too delighted, I hope,” Momma said.
    “Trust me, you could come out in a track suit and a floppy pink hat and he’d still be impressed. All of this is just a bonus.”
    “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she said. “I’m too old for this foolishness.”
    I hugged her. “You’re wrong there. I think you’re exactly the right age for this foolishness.”
    “Is it too late to call it off?” she asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
    There was no way I was going to let her back out now, but I was saved when the front door bell rang. I looked at her and smiled. “Yes, if I had to guess, I’d say that it’s too late. It appears that your date has arrived.”
    I almost had to drag her to the door, but once I opened it, I made myself scarce by stepping into the kitchen. I wasn’t going to get in her way, but I wasn’t about to go anywhere out of hearing range, either.
    Chief Martin whistled softly the second he saw her. “Dorothy, you look absolutely breathtaking.”
    “Thank you, Phillip. You look nice as well.”
    From the crack in the door, I could see him brush at his gray suit. It was so new, I was surprised that a tag wasn’t still hanging somewhere off it.
    He nodded. “Thanks. Should we go?”
    “Of course,” Momma said. As she headed toward the front door, she called out, “Have a nice evening, Suzanne.”
    “You crazy kids have a good night, too,” I said as I popped out.
    Momma kind of snorted a little, but the chief surprised me by laughing heartily. “Don’t worry about us; we will.”
    I stepped out before they could go. “Did Grace get hold of you?”
    “No, why?”
    I smiled, happy to deliver a bit of good news myself. “You heard about Emily showing up, didn’t you?”
    He nodded. “Her mother called the moment she walked in the door,” the chief said. “I’m glad that turned out okay.”
    “Me, too,” I said. “I’m just hoping Tim turns up soon as well.”
    “Don’t worry, he will.” He turned to my mother and asked, “Are you ready?”
    “I am.”
    I ran to the window and got there just in time to see the police chief escorting my mother to a nice blue sedan parked in front of the cottage. That was surprising. The man really had gone all out for their big date. He held the door for her, a point in his favor, and as they drove away, I saw the rental sticker on the back of the car. The only vehicle he normally needed was his police cruiser, but I was glad he hadn’t tried to take her out in that.
    Sixty seconds after they were gone, Grace drove up and parked in the space where he’d been.
    “That was perfect timing,” I said as I joined her outside. “They just left.”
    “I was waiting at my house on the front