*Elizabeth's POV*
I heard the key in the lock at ten-thirty, much later than Helen usually came home on a weeknight. I'd been sitting in the living room, pretending to read a book but really just waiting, the way mothers do.
The door opened, and Helen walked in.
And I knew immediately that something had changed.
My daughter was glowing. There was no other word for it. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright, and she had a smile on her face that I hadn't seen in years-maybe ever. She moved differently too, lighter somehow, like she was floating rather than walking.
"Mom! You're still up." Helen set her purse down and kicked off her heels. "You didn't have to wait up for me."
"I wasn't waiting up," I lied, setting my book aside. "I was just reading. How was your evening?"
"It was..."
