Dan folded the letter and slipped it back into its lilac-scented envelope. Even his tech-savvy mother reverted to some time-honored Emily Post tradition of only the written word would do in matters of importance. He would have thought an email would have sufficed. Not the guaranteed to get there within twenty-four hours delivery that cost her an arm and a leg. He’d sent their new address via email. Had that been a mistake? He hadn’t lived in the same state as his mother in over twenty years. He hadn’t counted on starting now. “She’s coming here? Are you joking?” Elaine took a toaster out of the box marked “kitchen.” Joan hadn’t been kidding, her garage held all the comforts of home. And their new home was shaping up—furniture in place, dishes in cupboards—they’d spent the weekend acting like newlyweds. Putting the finishing touches on the first “place” they’d lived in together. Granted, it was a rental and destined to be short-lived, but still they were having more than a little fun fixing things up.
