A bare Barbie doll cartwheeled down the stairs and thumped into the desk leg.
The screams were getting louder. Esther fought the urge to cowl her ears. “Let's go upstairs. I favor to at least see my niece and nephew.”
“Not when Jenny's in this sort of a mood. Trust me.”
Another toy came crashing down the stairs, observed by a shrieking cry. “MO-MMY NOW!”
Caroline turned to her. “Please? Another time?”
“Well ... next week I'm going to come down here and baby-sit. You and Jere can go out dancing or something.”
“Dancing.” Caroline smiled wistfully. “That would be nice.”
Esther remembered abruptly that she wouldn't be here subsequent week. She'd be lower back in California on The Sarah Purcell Show, telling the world about her mother. Suddenly she felt sick.
“You'd better get going. Th
