She circulated through the small crowd of 30 or so guests and made her way back to the kitchen. When she saw the event coordinator, she smiled genuinely. The woman had to be in her late fifties, but she was a force. She was directing kitchen staff and finessing trays of hors d’oeuvres as they left on silver trays.

Tina greeted her with a “Good evening, Stacey. Everything looks great.”

Stacey wore a simple black evening gown. She smiled and the worn wrinkles beneath her dark blue eyes crinkled. “I’m glad. Everything is running smoothly so far. Guests will be seated in 20 minutes. Then dinner will be served. We’ve got the slideshow photos and music cued. We’ll clear the floor for dancing right after the cake.”

“That sounds perfect. I know we’re in good hands,” said Tina.

By the time dinner was served, the crowd had swelled to 75 guests. Tina and her sister, Kaitlyn, each gave short speeches. Throughout the meal, family and friends had an opportunity to use the standing microphone and tell stories of the Kennards. Tina noted that her mother looked pleased and that was all that really mattered. This event would buy Tina another year of her mother’s goodwill and pleasant graces. Not having Tracy Kennard at her throat was worth its weight in gold.

Time wound down and Tina began to feel antsy. She was looking forward to speaking with Bette and this event was running longer than she’d anticipated. It was after 8 pm when her parents finally cut into their two-tiered, designer cake. After that, she and Kaitlyn joined their father for a dance on the dancefloor. Dan and Henry took turns dancing with her mother. They all posed for pictures together and then the dance floor was opened up to everyone else. The liquor had been flowing freely and a number of her parents’ silver-haired friends were eager to let loose. Tina couldn’t help but smile at them. Her hazel eyes rested on her parents. They danced closely together, enjoying the feel of each other, smiling real smiles.

Tears rose in Tina’s eyes and she looked away.

Tina mingled as she was expected to and gradually the crowd began to thin. However, it had not thinned enough and quickly enough for her to be home for Bette’s call. At 9:58 she stuffed her phone and earbuds into the pockets of her dress and headed to the club’s library. The lights were dimmed but the room felt warm and comforting. She sat on a brown leather couch and held her phone in her hand. She slipped the earbuds in and answered Bette’s call at 10:02 pm.