She thought hard about what to get Alice and couldn’t come up with anything. Alice’s needs were greater than anything she could get in a store. She settled on a fun pair of vintage style sunglasses, and hoped Tina was on the ball.

Pleased with her purchases, she hailed a cab and headed for The Planet. Upon entering, she was able to spot Angie immediately, and was shocked to see her sitting with a very happy looking Alice in the corner Alice always used to refer to as her “spot.”

Bette approached them with a big smile. “Hey! What are you doing here?”

“Hi!” Alice said brightly. “Sit down. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Bette sat down next to Angie and gave her a side hug. “Did you have fun with your Aunt Kit?”

“Yeah,” Angie said. “She always has the best stories.”

Bette smiled and gave Angie an extra little squeeze. “So what’s going on?” She said to Alice.

“Nothing, really. I guess seeing you yesterday snapped me out of the rut I was in. Sometimes seeing yourself through someone else’s eyes is exactly what you need. So I banished the velour, pulled myself together, and decided to get out of that house. And here I am. Sometimes a change in outlook is all you need, you know? So thanks for that.”

“Al, I didn’t do anything.”

“A visit from you was enough.”

Bette was doubtful but she didn’t press it. She was just glad to see Alice looking more like her old self again.

“Mom, Alice is going to take me to get a manicure. Is it okay?”

“Sure.” She wanted to ask Alice if she was sure she could afford it, but she couldn’t think of a tactful way to do so. “I guess I’ll head back to the hotel and wrap these up,” Bette said, gesturing to her packages. “You can drop Angie off there later. Has Tina called you? I think she wanted to have everyone come up and see us in our suite.”

“I haven’t checked my phone, but I’m sure she did.”

“Alright well, I’ll see you girls around four or so. Yeah?”

“We’ll be there. Where are you staying again?”

“The Taft.” Bette kissed the top of Angie’s curly head and stood up to go. “Have fun!”