Roxanne, who was the definition of a good soldier, was happy to be thrown under the bus for the success of the mission. Everyone secretly knew she always had a packet of peanut butter crackers in her bag to combat her “low blood sugar,” a medical condition she’d never actually verified. “Thank you, Toots. You all take such good care of me.”

Alexa snapped into tour guide mode with an ulterior motive. “Yes, we moved up the timeline. Everything is waiting for us in the sculpture garden. Why don’t we all stop in the ladies’ room to freshen up first? Penny, you look pale. Do you have lipstick? Put some on.”

All eyes turned to Penny, in a black maxi dress and jean jacket with a blue silk scarf looped around her neck, hair up in a bun. A classic New York look, but a swipe of color on her lips was a good idea. She rolled her eyes at her mother, who was expecting that response. While Penny had been warm and cheerful when they first saw each other after weeks of chilly communications, the suggestion that she could use some lipstick was all Penny needed to mock her. “Do you think I’m going to meet Mr. Right at the reception? Like a cater waiter or something?”

Toots to the rescue. “Your mother’s right. I want a group picture. Everybody needs lipstick!”

“Fine,” Penny agreed. “We should all get matching T-shirts for the next trip that say, ‘Everybody Needs Lipstick.’”

Mitsy made a mental note to do just that.

*  *  *

The garden at the Noguchi Museum was beautiful at night without any amendments. The sensuous lines of the sculptures, the contrasting textures of large and small rocks and lush greenery, and the winding paths that invited wandering à deux. But the scene that Abigail, Sarah, and the Connecticut cohort had created was magical. In a short time, they’d added flickering lanterns, classical music, ethereal dancers waltzing in white, and an anxious but handsome Chase, standing cocktail in hand with his vulnerability in full view. It took their collective breath away.

Maybe for the Widows, it stirred a memory of such a moment from long ago. Of being young and beautiful and in love. Of anticipation or regret. They took it all in without speaking.

For Penny, it took only a second to understand the implications of what she saw before her. Tears sprung to her eyes. She turned to her mother. “Did you do this?”