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Margaret returned to the kitchen, where I was busy transferring everything to serving dishes and setting them in the middle of the table "How’s Mom?" she asked as she carefully folded the napkins This was her attearet had only seen our mother a couple of times since the attack "She seehtlessly into the living room "I miss her"

Initially I didn’t understand what she aret miss our mother when all she had to do was drive over to the assisted living complex? They’d always been close Even now, they talked at least once a day After we’d first aret stopped by the complex as often as twice daily

"It’s alaret said sadly

A sense of loss caradually, I was hardly aware of it while it was happening All at once, Margaret and I were taking care of Mo decisions, dealing with financialher to doctor’s appointo, e discovered Mom was severely diabetic and needed to be on insulin Lately, she’d slipped er see

"Moaret said and cast lance "It’s just that I can’t talk to her now"

"Of course you can," I challenged Mo from us

"Not about this"

This, of course, was the attack on Julia I forgave Margaret for her hot-tempered response when I understood what she aret repeated

I agreed Iabout anything and everything I’d grown to rely on her insights about the store and er, Mom had been so deathly afraid of my cancer that she’d forced my father to oversee all medical matters My father was the one who’d chauffeured ued with doctors on eries and whispered encouragement when the pain was more than I could bear He was there when I suffered the debilitating effects of cherew exceptionally close, and in that, we’d excluded Margaret and our mother True, Mom did her best for me, but my father was my anchor

"I’d like to tell her about Julia," Margaret continued "But…I can’t"

What my sister wanted, of course, was our mother back the way she used to be She wanted Moht, that this nightmare would soon be over and life would return to norht assurance that the attack wouldn’t have a lasting effect on her daughter She wanted Moh the night again and saret wanted peace, the kind of peace only a ed to offer her own daughter

"Chicken’s done," Brad said, co in from the patio It’d started to rain, which was no real surprise, since it’d been raining off and on all weekend The chicken breasts s Brad had marinated the and herbs--a blend he could probably never duplicate again

We all gathered around the table and after Brad had offered a si dishes around

Matt dug into the reat," he said between bites He helped himself to a second scoop of potato salad before he’d finished his original serving

"I haven’t been doinga little e on the food

"You’ve been busy," I said, dis the police nuts," Matt said

Margaret glared across the table at hiriaret had gone into the dining roo dinner to use her cell phone I knew she was checking on Julia again Most likely it wasn’t only the police Margaret was annoying

"I thought eren’t going to mention the attack," she said pointedly to her husband

I noticed that Margaret had barely touched her retful "You’re right I apologize"

Now that Matt had brought it up, though, Margaret was loath to drop the subject "The police don’t even see a deal They aren’t taking it seriously"

Matt raised his hand "Now, Margaret--"

"Don’t argue withwith the police, and I’ swept under the rug"

"Would anyone like coffee?" I asked in a blatant attempt to redirect the conversation

"I’d love some," Brad said quickly