Bette:  But we did give him grandchildren. I remember when we told him that we were expecting our first. He rejected that child as his grandchild because he was not biologically related to that child. I was so upset with him for being rejected one more time. And on his death bed, he never seemed to accept that Tina was my life partner and the child she carried was my child. Angie was born a month or so after Dad died. He never had an opportunity to meet Angie, but she has decided that she will study law but at Yale and not at Harvard. I do not know where that came from. But unlike my father, Tina and I decided a long time ago that we were going to give our children exposure to a wide variety of life experiences and then we were going to allow them to decide their path. The one thing my father seemed to forget is that our children are gifts of only temporary care. They have to live their lives as they see best. They have to seek their own identities and happiness. Their lives are not ours to direct but to support and to give them the tools to be happy, productive adults. I believe my father would have loved Angelica and Daniel. He would have seen some of himself in them. But he would have also seen the uniqueness of their personalities which they are.

Tina: We are so thankful that they are a part of our lives. I just wonder why Melvin chose not to acknowledge us and our children as his family. It was a real shock when he included me in his will.

Harriett: He knew that you were the love of Elizabeth’s life and that your children would be her children. He told me that after he met you for the first time. He admired your beauty and your strength to take on Elizabeth as your spouse and partner. He knew that Elizabeth could be a bit headstrong and a force to be reckoned with. He thought that you were Elizabeth’s Maxine. He thought you had what it took to what did he say? Oh yes: “to corral and domesticate a Porter.” He believed that you had a big job ahead of you.