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Meredith considered that Daisy had been around the Whitsons for as long as anyone could remember “When did you meet my mom?”

Daisy’s overplucked eyebrows lift ed in surprise “Well, let’s see I guess I was about ten Maybe a little younger It was all the buzz I remember that ’Cause your daddy was datin’ Sally Herman when he went off to war and when he came home, he was married ”

“So he barely knew her ”

“I don’t know about that He was in love with her, though My mom said she’d never seen a man so in love She took care of Anya ”

“Who did?”

“My mom For most of that first year ”

Meredith frowned “What do you mean?”

“She was sick You knew that, right? I think she was in bed for a year or so and then one day she just got better My ht they’d be friends, but you know Anya ”

It was stunning news, really Stunning She didn’t reh “Sick how? What rong with her?” What caused a woet better?

“I don’t know Mom never said much about it, really ”

“Thanks, Daisy ” She watched Daisy leave the office and close the door behind her

For the next few hours, Meredith et a little bit of work done, butabout her mother

At five o’clock, she gave up the pretense and left the office, saying, “Daisy, will you run the warehouse check for me? If there’s a real probleone for the day ”

“You bet, Meredith ”

Ten minutes later, when she walked into her reeted her She found her y white apron, her hands sticky white with flour As she had always done, she was e was full of it