“Mother?”  Helena called into the house, “Mummy?”

“Here I am.  This blasted walker will be the death of me.” Peggy came around the corner, assisted by her walker.

“How are you, Mummy?”

“I’m doing really well, surprisingly.”

“You’re looking well, Mum.”

“Come, sit.”

The mother and daughter sat in Peggy’s living room.

“I spoke with Bette.”

“And?”

“And she’d love to work with the Peabody Foundation.  We’ll discuss the specifics later, but I think the motivating factor in her decision to work with me is because I told her that you would be thrilled to have the two of us working together.”

“Are you sure that’s why?” Peggy’s signature questioning glance still showed through her tired eyes.  Even though she had survived a life-threatening sting, she was still fatigued with the day-to-day parts of life.

“What do you mean?”

“Helena, I may have been pretty sick two months ago and I am not dense as to the original reason Bette helped us both out by helping you take care of me, but I’m not blind.  I watched as something developed between the two of you.”

“You saw nothing.”

“I saw it all.  I saw the way the look in her eyes as she looked at you changed from hatred to lust to possibly love.  I’ve seen how you’ve looked at her since you met her.  Even behind envious glances, I saw that there was something more there.  So, when did you start fucking her?  And don’t lie, I’m Peggy Peabody and I know all.”

“It was a few months ago.  And it’s not ‘fucking’, Mummy.  It’s making love.”

With her hand on her chest and feigned indignation, “Well, excuse me.  Making love, then?  Does she feel the same?”

“I’m sure she does.  I can feel it when she looks at me.  I can feel it when she holds my hand or pulls me closer.  I know that she cares for me.  Even if she doesn’t know if she loves me or not yet, it won’t stop me from showing her why she should.”

Peggy never in a million years expected to have this kind of conversation with her daughter.  They never really spoke of relationships to one another, or had any kind of conversation that could have feelings attached to it until recently.