“What?”

“I asked a Realtor to look for something nicer than the cottage you’re staying in here at the resort, one level with a full kitchen, and I asked for an ocean view. The ocean is beautiful in summer. It’s beautiful all year, but we have six months of mild weather ahead. I’ll be nearby and can see you all the time.”

“What about my house? My things?”

“We’ll have Virginia and the housekeeper pack and ship what you want with you. I think I can find a place and have it ready quickly. Let’s close up the house. I’ll deal with it later. With your instructions and Virginia’s help, I’ll take care of everything, down to the last crystal ashtray. Right now, I want you nearby. I want to spend more time with you if possible.”

“Then come to San Francisco!”

She calmly shook her head. “I don’t live there. In fact, with all the traveling you do, you don’t even spend six months a year there. I’m willing to do anything you say—dictate your instructions to whomever you like. If I know you, you’ve already done so. If you don’t like this idea then I’ll visit you as often as I can. But I’m not going to move to San Francisco. My home is here. But I can move you. I can find you a lovely place and excellent home care professionals if that becomes necessary.”

“Is excellent notion!” Mikhail bellowed. “We will toast it.”

Heads turned in the restaurant.

“Excellent notion?” Winnie said. “Leave my home for a strange place during the last months of my life? How is this excellent?”

Grace reached for her hand. “Because I don’t think I can keep you comfortable in that big drafty urban mini-mansion. It’s full of stairs, even in your bedroom and bath. The kitchen is a mile from the master bedroom and when you need assistance with things like getting around, bathing, eating...believe me, you’re going to want a little less space and no stairs. Remember that little house you rented in Cabo? One story, nice accessible patio, view of the sea from the window? Hardly a prison, Mama. But I think you’ll be miserable stuck in an upstairs bedroom in San Francisco, tended by servants.”

She sensed rather than saw Troy’s head turn to look at her.

“I don’t know...”

“Mama, I want you to be comfortable. I want to be around to be sure...”

“Do you even know anything about this condition?”

“Oh, yes,” she said. “I’ve been up till all hours reading about it every night. I talked to our local doctor about what you might need and if it would all be readily available.” She got a little teary. “I think this can work,” she said softly.

“Is excellent notion!” Mikhail bellowed again. The drinks arrived right as he shouted. “We go at once! This can happen.”

“Don’t you have a team to coach?” Grace asked.

“I have family emergency. Excuse me—I will have lovely Virginia make arrangements,” he said, standing.

“I’d like Troy to come, if that’s all right.”

“Certainly,” Winnie said, leaning her head into her hand. “But, Izzy...Grace, I meant Grace, we’ll be busy with family matters.”

“No problem,” Mikhail said. “I will teach him poker.”

“I know poker,” Troy said.

“Ha. You think you know poker. Is too early to tell!”

* * *

Before dinner was over, Virginia had flight arrangements for all of them. They were to meet at the regional airport in North Bend for a two-o’clock departure the next afternoon.

Troy took Grace home and stayed the night. He was holding her after loving her. “Are you sure, Troy? You feel okay about going with me? Even though you’ll miss a couple of days of work?”

He stroked her hair away from her eyes. “I don’t know how we can go forward until you try to fix this thing with your mother. She’s not easy, I can see that. But she’s your family. And I think if you and your mother’s roles were reversed, she’d be there for you. As best she could. And maybe not in the exact way you want her to be—just like you—but she’d do her best.”

“Probably...”

“And if you were relying on her, you’d go to her.”

“Probably.”

“I get real put out with my family sometimes. We have our issues, our fights and standoffs. Then we pull it together. My folks are in their early sixties now, thinking about retirement, and I can’t even imagine losing them.” He gave her a little kiss on her temple. “When we get through some of this craziness, I want you to meet them.”

“I bet they’re very nice people.”

“You’re very nice people, Gracie.”

“I know you must ask yourself how you got into this situation.”

“Oh, I think it was New Year’s Eve.” He chuckled. “I’m sure you can’t come up with any more surprises now.”

“God, I hope not,” she said emphatically, then curled up against him and went to sleep.

Grace was a little frantic in the morning, trying to figure out how to get everything ready. She wanted to leave the shop in good shape for Iris and Ginger, her loft cleaned up for her return, and she wanted to pack, shower, look presentable when it was time to go. She threw on her jeans from the day before and dashed down to the shop, leaving Troy in her bed once again. To her surprised delight, Iris and Ginger were already in the shop and Ginger had before her a beautiful white centerpiece.

“Look at you!” Grace said.

“I’m getting a little better, but my instructor is right beside me, moving things around, pointing, shaking her head when I choose the wrong stem or stalk, cutting off ends to the right length. I didn’t exactly do this alone.”

“But she’s catching on,” Iris said. “In a couple of weeks, she’ll be re-creating some of your stock pieces on her own.”

“Also, I’m extremely slow and careful,” Ginger said. “Iris whips ’em out in twenty minutes.”

“Iris grew up in this shop.”

“I was helping to make centerpieces and wreaths and bouquets when I was ten. I guess you could say I’ve had a little practice.”

“I’m leaving at around noon today for a two-o’clock flight,” Grace said. “Let’s go over the schedule and what you need from me before I leave. Iris, there will be a flower delivery today. The vendor will get here at about two and I’ll be gone.”

“I’ve done it before, Grace,” Iris said.

“Be sure to give him the order for next Thursday, which includes the flowers for the Lacoumette-Grant wedding, and tell him I’ll need it before noon. Post a sign that the shop will be closed Monday and Tuesday. I’ll be back Tuesday night, open Wednesday.”

“I can open Monday and Tuesday,” Ginger said. “Don’t worry, I won’t attempt any extravagant arrangements. If you think it will be slow, I might not even have orders to fill.”

“Ginger and I can make up a few stock arrangements so she has some on hand in the cooler to sell if anyone wanders in. And I’ll check in after school on Monday to see if we should make anything up for Tuesday.”