My eyes went from her hand to her pale, white face. She wore very little makeup, but she didn’t need any to look pretty. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever known. Her long, brown hair was pulled back into a bun, and starting to grey at her temples. Her eyes were an almond brown and they always seemed to be smiling even if her mouth was not.

She was our housekeeper, though she was so much more than that. She had become more of a nanny than anything, though she was still responsible for cleaning our gigantic house. I always hated how big it was. There was definitely too much room for just me and my parents. Of course, my sister had lived with us before going away to college, but even then the house was too large. Sometimes, when my parents were on business trips, or taking a vacation without me, Hattie would have to stay the night to watch me. I thought that was a little much since I was fourteen and could take care of myself well enough, but I never complained. Hattie was always fun to be around, even if we were simply playing “Go Fish” in the parlor.

I glanced from her face and back to her ring one more time before looking back at my cards. “Hattie,” I asked, “How did you know when you were first in love? Got any fours?”

She pulled a card from her hand and gave it to me. “Oh,” she said letting out a chuckle. “Charles and I have been in love for twenty years. You think I remember when I first fell in love with him?”

“I know you do,” I answered with a grin.

Her white teeth showed in her wide smile. “Yes I do.” She looked away from her cards and past me as if she were daydreaming for a moment. “I was probably your sister’s age when a group of my friends asked me to go swimming in the pond out near Ridge Point, you know where I’m talking about?”

I nodded, having been there a few times myself.