Harley was blushing again as everyone complimented her about the house. “So she and I are working out an arrangement to make that happen …” I started to explain.

A well-dressed, silver-haired man and his wife had walked to our table, in the meantime, and stopped behind Annie. While rubbing her shoulders affectionately, he said “Well, I’m trying to work out an arrangement myself with Harley.”

“Hi Dad,” Annie answered, craning her neck up slightly to make eye-contact with him. “Hi Mom.”

“Who’s your new friend Annie?” he asked, looking at me with a polite smile.

“Aerin, Harley’s friend, actually.”

“Aerin, my dad Philip, and my mom Daisy,” Annie said introducing us to each other.

I extended my hand. “Aerin Palmer,” I said.

“Philip Corcoran. Aerin … Palmer?” Philip asked with interest. “Are you from New York?”

I nodded. As I shook Daisy’s hand, he gave me a small, sympathetic smile, “I met your parents, on a purely formal basis, when my firm was hired to give one of the charities your mom led some legal advice. I handled that account myself, because it was a west coast matter. It was about fifteen years ago, if I recall correctly …”

“Very gracious couple,” he added, eyes distant as his thoughts had clearly taken a trip down memory lane. “I remember going to one of those elegant parties they threw in that beautiful penthouse of theirs that overlooked Central Park, when I was visiting New York one spring…”

His voice trailed off as his mind snapped back to the present. “You’re even more beautiful than your mom was, Aerin,” he said softly. “And I’m pretty sure she must have passed on her kind and generous heart, to you, too. I was very sorry when I heard about the accident … “

I pursed my lips. Everyone else around the table had fallen even more quiet. I looked quickly over at Harley, biting my lip, blinking back tears at the memory of losing my parents, as if trying to control my lip from quivering. Her warm hazel eyes were openly emotional, communicating her silent support. I broke our shared look, lest people catch our special look, and looked at Philip. “Thank you,” I said simply after swallowing drily.