Lucy stared at her.
“Wouldn’t it be a shame if we could only love one person? But my darling girl, we don’t have to love someone at the expense of someone else.” She peered into Lucy’s eyes. “We have an endless supply of love, and isn’t that wonderful? We don’t have to stop loving one person in order to love another.”
“Are you sure?” Lucy whispered.
“Oh yes. Daisy isn’t betraying your mother if she loves me, too. There’s room in Daisy’s heart to love many people. That’s true for you, too. I think of your mother a lot, did you know that? I didn’t know her, but I think she and I would have liked each other because we have something important in common. We love the same people. I wish I could sit down with your mother over a cup of coffee and tell her how fast you’re growing and ask her about your grandparents. There are so many things I’d like to tell her and ask her. I imagine you feel that way, too.”
Lucy threw herself into Angie’s arms. “I’m mad that she died! Then I feel bad for being mad at her! And sometimes I like you a lot, and then I feel bad about that, too.”
“I know.” Angie patted her back, felt Lucy’s tears on her neck. “Sometimes I get mad at my mother for dying.”
“Then do you feel bad?”
“Sometimes. But sometimes I think it’s all right to be angry. Because that means I miss her and I’m sorry that she died.” Gently she guided Lucy backward so she could look into her eyes. “We don’t ever want to forget our mothers. But there’s something else we shouldn’t forget.”
Lucy wiped her nose. “What?”
“Our mothers loved us, Lucy. And our mothers wouldn’t want us to be unhappy. Our mothers would want us to go forward and to open our hearts and love and laugh and live our lives. Our mothers wouldn’t want us to stop loving. Don’t you agree?”
Fresh tears spilled down Lucy’s cheeks, and she lowered her head. “I don’t want to feel bad when you do something nice for me.”
“You don’t have to. Truly. Your mother knows you love her. And I think it would make her happy if you and I could love each other, too.”
“Angie?” Miserable wet eyes looked into hers. “I really really really am sorry that I broke your cup.”
“I won’t say that what you did is all right, because it isn’t.” She wiped the tears from Lucy’s eyes with a scrap of green material. “But I can tell you that I think I understand, and I forgive you.”
Daisy burst through the back door, her hair flying and her eyes wide. “Angie, come quick! Mrs. Molly is crying!”
Chapter 16
Angie rushed up the porch steps and burst through the Johnsons’ back door, the girls at her heels. Molly sat hunched over her kitchen table, a wet handkerchief pressed to her eyes.
Molly Johnson was so sturdy and indestructible that the sight of tears on her face constricted Angie’s chest with dread. “Oh Molly. Has something happened to Cannady?”
“That crazy fool.” Molly shoved back a wave of short silver hair, then blew her nose. She pointed at the table. “Look.”
“Oh my heavens! Those can’t be . . .” Angie gasped and her hands flew to her throat. Astonishment widened her eyes. “Molly, are those real diamonds?”
An array of jewelry glittered across Molly’s oilcloth table covering. A hat pin, earrings, necklace, a brooch, two bracelets, three rings, and two shoe buckles. More diamonds than Angie had ever imagined seeing in one place. The gems drew the light like fire swallowing night, flashing, winking, sparkling.
Angie fanned her face. “My Lord! If those diamonds are real, you have a king’s ransom sitting on your kitchen table!”
“They’re real, all right.” Fresh tears welled in Molly’s eyes. She made a face and shook her head. “That damned fool man. Bless his heart.”
“Where . . . How did . . . ?” Angie sank to a chair, then snatched Daisy’s hand away from the table. “Don’t touch.”
“If she wants a closer look, let her have it.” Mustering a smile, Molly nodded to Lucy and Daisy. “I was in my teens before I saw a real diamond. And I never owned any until now. Take a good look, girls.”
Angie pulled her gaze away from the stunning display and stared at Molly. The only thing she understood was that Molly’s tears were the happy sort. “What happened?”
“Can always said he’d drape me in diamonds when he got rich.” She pressed the handkerchief to her eyes. “I thought he was teasing. I mean look at me. Have you ever seen me wear jewelry? Just my jet earrings and my wedding ring.” Which was a plain gold band, like Angie’s. “We don’t go anyplace where I’d wear diamonds. We never have, and I can’t imagine we ever will.”