Back to the present … September, 1972

As the full moon rose in the night sky, Maddie and Honey still sat together on the chaise lounge, leafing through the pages of the baby book. Each milestone of Honey's development was carefully documented in her mother's neat boarding-school script. A few snapshots and several studio portraits were mounted into the book as well. On the last page there was a 5x7 color portrait of Honey and her mother at Easter time when Honey appeared to be about three years old. Honey wore a white dress with large sage-green polka dots, white Mary Janes and white lace-edged anklets. In her hair was a sage-green ribbon, and she held a basket of pastel Easter eggs. Maddie, seated behind her, wore a sage-green dress with white polka dots. Maddie looked longingly at her child, while Honey had a solemn look on her small face as she stared straight ahead at the camera.

"Mother! You look so sad!" Honey exclaimed. "I've seen this picture before – it's on Daddy's desk. But you don't look sad in that one."

"I was afraid that you would never love me and I would never really know you," her mother replied. "I felt useful and needed when I traveled with your dad. When I was at home with you, I felt helpless and unnecessary. Mrs. Carter was so competent and capable, and she loved you dearly. I always felt she didn't really want to share you with me. Yet, we needed her and I could never bring myself to let her go; I was sad to lose her when you went to school. It was true that there were things I needed to do to help your father and I couldn't have done them without her – or someone like her. Being a social hostess for Dad was my job. I knew that when I married him. But our business travels made us real partners. In some ways, I wish things could have been different, but that was the life I knew, and the life I was given. I'm just terribly sorry you and I could never seem to be closer. I envy Mrs. Belden and Mrs. Lynch for their relationships with their daughters."

"Oh, Mother! I can barely remember Mrs. Carter! I‘m so thankful I got sick and we moved out here," Honey blurted out. "If we had stayed in the city we might never have gotten to know each other. Do you think we could make regular plans to do something together?"

"Honey, darling, I would love to do something with you regularly. What kind of activity do you have in mind?" Maddie asked.

"Well, there is going to be a class in White Plains every Saturday for the next two months, called ‘Choosing the fashion fabric for your sewing project'," Honey responded. "I've been thinking about redecorating my room, and I'd love to make my own curtains and even a comforter and some throw pillows. With your perfectly perfect style sense, I'm sure we could choose fabrics that would look beautiful, but we might need some help in choosing some that are both beautiful and will hold up for several years. I don't want to put a lot of time and effort into sewing curtains and bedspreads that will fade and break down in sunlight, or stain easily, and I do want colors and patterns that make me feel happy! Once I go to the work of sewing these things, I'd want to enjoy them for a long time! Later, if we like the class, I'd love to learn more about choosing the right types of fabric to make my own clothing. I've found out with a few projects that sometimes the fabric I've chosen doesn't hang the right way for the style the designer intended, and I'd also love to design some of my own clothes. You have such perfect taste that I know you would give me the best advice in colors and styles. "

Again, Honey noticed her mother's eyes filling with tears. In a soft voice that only trembled a little, she answered her daughter. "Honey, dear, it sounds like a fascinating class. I'd love to attend with you."

Hesitantly, she reached for her daughter. The baby book lay open on the bed, forgotten, as mother and daughter hugged each other and cried together.