34Esther Carrier slid peach bread pudding into the oven, licked her fingertips and wiped her hands on a towel hanging on the oven door. She loved baking, particularly on rainy days when she couldn’t be in her garden. Esther was thankful Amy and Tek resolved their issues. They had always been close and she prayed they always would be. An impulse to call Amy overcame her. Mishandling the phone as she reached for it from the kitchen wall, she fished the receiver by its tangled chord and punched Amy’s phone number while tapping her foot. When Amy’s answering machine engaged she slapped the receiver back into the cradle. Remembering it was Saturday, when Amy would be at work rather than home, she tried again.
“Hi darling, I just wanted to hear your voice,” Esther said rapidly.
“Is everything
