“Got to go, Mother,” Michelle said in a voice choked with laughter. “They need me in the coffee shop. Call me later, okay?” and then she hung up the phone and turned to Hannah.

The two sisters faced each other for a moment, both of them too stunned to speak. Then Hannah slowly shook her head. “No way,” she said. “This has gone on long enough. I’m calling Doc. If anyone can talk some sense into Mother, it’s him.”

The words had no sooner left her mouth when the phone rang again. “I’ll get it,” she said, plucking the instrument of Michelle’s previous torture from the holder on the wall. “The Cookie Jar, Hannah speaking.”

She listened for a second and then she gave Michelle the high sign. “Oh! Hi, Doc! I was just about to call you.” She listened for another couple of seconds and then she responded. “Well . . . sure. I’d love to and I’m sure Michelle, Andrea, and Lisa would too. And we agree with you wholeheartedly. See you at six, then.”

That said, Hannah hung up the phone and turned to Michelle, who was having trouble containing her curiosity. “I didn’t have to tell Doc about it. He walked in when Mother was talking to you and walked back out to call me from the front desk. We’re meeting him tonight at the Lake Eden Inn for dinner at six. Mother won’t be joining us until seven, so we’ll have an hour to discuss the problem. Doc says he has a solution in mind if we all agree.”

“Sounds great to me,” Michelle said. “I’ll agree with anything at this point. I’m so frustrated by the whole thing that I don’t know what to do.”

“Matricide is not an option,” Hannah told her, and she felt a lot better when Michelle laughed. At least they hadn’t lost their senses of humor quite yet.

“I’m surprised that Mother didn’t insist on joining us right away,” Michelle said. “What excuse did Doc use for getting away early?”

“He didn’t need an excuse. The Rainbow Ladies are hosting a wedding shower for Mother at the hospital. It starts at five-thirty and she’ll be tied up until seven or maybe a little later. Doc’s going to ask her to meet him for dinner at the Lake Eden Inn as soon as her shower’s over. He already told her that we’re coming, too.”

“This all sounds good to me,” Michelle said. “Anything Doc can suggest to help will be great. Mother just doesn’t seem to understand that we can’t plan her wedding and reception dinner if she changes her mind every time the wind blows.”