I watched from the back of the crowd, grinning.
Daniel stood beside me.
“That’s my mom,” he said proudly.
I glanced at him.
“You sound surprised.”
“I’m not. I’m just realizing how much I underestimated her.”
Karen spotted us.
She raised a hand and smiled.
Daniel waved back.
Then he leaned toward me.
“You know Dad is going to hate this.”
I considered the situation.
Michael had lost the marriage he had chosen to abandon. He had lost the opportunity to purchase a property he wanted. And the woman he had spent years treating as dependent was now being praised publicly for her business judgment.
“I’m trying to be mature about it,” I said.
Daniel stared at me.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“Immensely.”
He laughed.
“Good. Just don’t tell Mom.”
“Your secret is safe.”
We both turned toward her.
She was answering questions, smiling, and talking about the bookstore’s next expansion.
