said the large black man sitting behind the wheel, looking into the mirror at Mona in the backseat. Mona beamed back at him. How many times had he driven her to and from the airport over the years? Too many to count. He’d seen her at her most tired and exhausted moments. She’d confided in him things she’d never dared breathe to another human being. Arthur was her friend and confidant. So she couldn’t wait to talk to him now, to tell him about Hope. “I’ve never been able to be with Hope for her birthday, Arthur—not since our separation, anyway.” She fiddled with the buttons on her BlackBerry nervously, knowing that she couldn’t have any more messages in the nanosecond since she’d last looked. “And this one’s a special one, sixteen.” Arthur whistled. “Does she know what you’ve got planned?” Mona shook her head. “I only just called her a bit ago to let her know I was on my way home. Everything is a surprise.” “Was she excited to hear from you?” “She didn’t answer,”
