I turned and saw Peggy in the doorway. “Gray, your mother’s here,” I said before I rushed to her and hugged her for all I was worth. “You’re here. I hadn’t heard from you and I’d started to get worried. I was going to try to contact you on the ship today.” She hugged me back. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I should have sent a reply. I got your e-mail and I just spun into action. It feels like I’ve been spinning since I read it. I got off the boat on the island and I’ve been making my way here since.” Peggy’s dark hair was laced with gray and caught up in a messy bun. She was wearing a sundress and sandals, despite the fact it was October. The thin cardigan that would be perfect in the tropics looked woefully inadequate for Erie. “I thought you’d have to finish the cruise,” I said. “As if they could make me.” Peggy looked formidable as she snorted, and I realized that I wouldn’t have wanted to be the person who tried to keep her on the cruise ship after she’d read my e-mail.
