“Makes sense to me,” Hannah said, exchanging smiles with Michelle. Hannah’s youngest sister was on a summer break from college and she was in town for two weeks before she had to go back to start the fall semester. She’d spent the previous night with her friend, Carly Richardson, who was undergoing a big change in her family dynamics.

“I didn’t get a chance to ask you when I came in,” Andrea addressed Michelle. “How’s Jennifer Richardson doing?”

“She’s doing a lot better than I expected. She’s fitting right in, almost as if she never left. And I could tell that Loretta’s really happy she’s home. Carly told me she really likes Jennifer, but I know it’s a big adjustment for her. For most of her life, Carly was like an only child.”

“How old was Carly when Jennifer ran away?”

“She was four. There’s almost ten years between them, and Jennifer ran away right after her fourteenth birthday.”

“Then Loretta is handling it all right?” Hannah asked.

“Oh, yes. Carly says it was a big shock when her mother got that call from Jennifer, but she always believed that Jennifer would come back home someday.”

All three Swensen daughters were silent for a moment, thinking about the troubles that the Richardson family had endured. It had started when Jennifer had run away from home, and it had reached a crescendo of hurt when Loretta’s husband and Carly’s father, Wes Richardson, had fatally shot himself in the hayloft of the barn six months to the day after Jennifer had run away. Somehow, through it all, Loretta had carried on, raising Carly and supporting them both by using the life insurance money that Wes had left her to become a full partner at Trudi’s Fabrics.

“Will you tell Carly to call me if there’s anything I can do for them?” Andrea asked Michelle.

“Sure. I’ll tell Carly.”

“The same goes for me,” Hannah said. Michelle, Carly and Tricia Barthel had been fast friends in school, and Hannah had always been fond of Carly. “Now let’s get back to the wedding plans before Mother gets here,” she said, bringing them back to the subject at hand. “How are you coming along with the bridesmaid dresses, Michelle?”

“I’m not. Mother says she wants our dresses to match the flowers so I have to wait until she makes up her mind about them. The only thing is, Claire says it’ll be a special order if we want three dresses exactly the same, and special orders take at least three weeks.”

“No flowers and no dresses.” Andrea was clearly frustrated as she ticked them off on her fingers. “If Mother doesn’t start cooperating with us, this wedding isn’t going to happen.”

“At least she finally approved the menu for the reception,” Michelle said, obviously trying to look on the bright side. But then she noticed Hannah’s exasperated expression. “The menu’s not set?”

“Not anymore. Mother called me yesterday and said she didn’t want the standing rib roast. So far, she’s rejected beef, pork, lamb, and poultry including Doc’s favorite, Rock Cornish Game Hens.”