For a moment Hannah was floored, but then she remembered what she’d said at the door. Mrs. Hanks had sharp ears. “That’s right.”

“Why don’t you get Hannah a cup of coffee, honey?” Mrs. Hanks motioned to Luanne. “It’s nippy outside tonight.”

Luanne walked over to set a plate of ham, a bowl of green beans, and a basket of biscuits on the table. “How about it, Hannah? Would you like some coffee?”

“Yes, if it’s made.”

“It’s made.” Luanne went back to the old wood stove and filled a cup from the blue enamel pot that sat at the back. She set it down in front of Hannah and asked, “You still drink it black, don’t you?”

“That’s right. How did you know?”

“From the cafe. The tips are bigger if I remember things like that. Just hold on a minute and I’ll put Suzie in her highchair. Then we can talk about that lipstick.”

Luanne slid her daughter into the highchair and pushed up the tray. She handed Suzie a biscuit and laughed as the little girl tried to push the whole thing into her mouth. “She’s still not clear on the concept of small bites.”

“They never are at that age,” Hannah responded with a smile.

Luanne retrieved the biscuit and broke it into bite-sized pieces. Then she turned to her mother. “Will you feed Suzie, Mom?”

“Sure will. Go on, honey. Take Hannah back and show her what’s in your sample case.”

Hannah followed Luanne into one of the bedrooms. It was painted sunny yellow and there were frilly white curtains at the window. Suzie’s crib was against the far wall, and a twin bed that Hannah assumed was Luanne’s was against the other wall. Two plastic laundry baskets sat in a corner with a few toys in each. There were three children’s books sitting on top of a child-sized table, and Hannah noticed a handful of crayons in an old bleach bottle that had been partially cut away to make a crayon carrier.

“That’s Suzie’s corner,” Luanne explained, motioning toward the table. “I’m stenciling blue and white bunnies on the wall this weekend and I’m going to paint her table blue.”

Hannah noticed that the table was longer than most children’s tables. It was just the right height for a toddler like Suzie and there was plenty of room to work. “That table’s perfect. Tracey used to have a little square one. It looked nice, but it was barely big enough for a coloring book.”

“Suzie’s used to be an old coffee table. I just sawed off the legs. Now all I have to do is find something that she can use for a chair.”

Hannah remembered the things in her sister’s garage, all the clothing, toys, and toddler-sized furniture that Tracey had outgrown. “Andrea may have a chair for Suzie. I’ll ask her.”

“No.” Luanne shook her head. “I know you mean well, Hannah, but we don’t need charity. We’re getting along just fine.”