Hannah laughed and went to take the Oatmeal Raisin Chews out of the ovens. When she turned, her sister was standing up to go.

“I’ve got to run,” Andrea announced. “Mother told me that Mrs. Robbins is thinking about moving to the Lakeview Senior Apartments. I thought I’d drop in for a visit and see if I can convince her to list her house with me.”

Hannah immediately felt better. Andrea seemed to have recovered her self-confidence.

“I’ll just say hello to Bill and see if he can pick Tracey up after preschool. And I suppose I’d better find something to take to Mrs. Robbins. It’s not very neighborly to arrive empty-handed.”

“Take these. They’re her favorites.” Hannah filled one of her special cookie bags with a half-dozen Molasses Crackles. The bags looked like miniature shopping bags and they had red handles with “The Cookie Jar” stamped in gold lettering on the front.

“This is really sweet of you.” Andrea sounded grateful. “I don’t say it enough, but you’re a wonderful sister. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come back when Dad died. Mother was a basket case and Michelle didn’t know what to do with her. I tried to run back and forth, but Tracey was just a baby and I just couldn’t keep it up. All I could think of was calling you and begging you to come home to bail us all out.”

Hannah gave Andrea a quick hug. “You did the right thing. I’m the big sister and you were practically a newlywed. It was my responsibility to help.”

“But sometimes I feel really guilty about calling you. You had your own life and you gave it all up for us.”

Hannah turned away to hide the sudden moisture that sprang to her eyes. Perhaps losing a sale was good for Andrea. She’d never been this appreciative before. “You don’t have to feel guilty, Andrea. Coming home wasn’t a sacrifice on my part. I was having doubts about teaching and I really wanted to do something different.”

“But you were so close to getting your doctorate. You could have been a professor by now at a really good university.”

“Maybe.” Hannah shrugged, conceding the point. “But baking cookies is a lot more fun than giving a lecture on iambic pentameter or being stuck in a deadly dull faculty meeting. And you know how much I love The Cookie Jar.”

“Then you’re happy here in Lake Eden?”

“My business is great, I’ve got my own place, and I don’t have to live with Mother. What could be better?”

Andrea started to smile. “There’s something to that, especially the part about not living with Mother. But what about romance?”

“Don’t push it, Andrea.” Hannah gave her a warning look. “If the right man comes along, that’s great. And if he doesn’t, that’s fine too. I’m perfectly content to live by myself.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.” Andrea looked very relieved as she headed for the door.