Present
“Mrs. Fitzgerald, would you like a glass of wine?”
"Mimosas, for me and my daughter."
"Right away, ma'am."
Mother and I settled into large comfortable chairs as we lowered our feet into the warm bubbling baths. From the reception we'd received, it was obvious that every employee of the private spa knew my mother, the great Adelaide Montague Fitzgerald.
"Darling," she said, with just the right amount of Southern twang, "please watch what you say, especially around Alton. Dear, you know how busy he is. He doesn't deal well with petty comments."
Copper filled my mouth as my teeth increased the pressure upon my tongue. I'd promised Jane that this visit would come and go without incident. I promised for her, not my mother and most definitely not Alton. I had missed Jane more than I'd realized. If I could manage to lower the tension level, perhaps I could arrange to visit more often, especially if I could schedule it when Alton was away on one of his trips.