Ever since her breakup with Jack, Frankie had taken herself to the movies after completing her hospital rounds on Christmas Day. Generally it was to an obscure foreign film so she couldn’t be counted as part of a Hollywood holiday blockbuster trend. But today she didn’t have any interest in finding one. Jil had mentioned that although Samantha had invited him to join her and Charlie in Palm Beach, he was staying in New York and having a little dinner with private clients at the Carlyle. He asked Frankie to come along. But the thought of those private clients with their pulled faces in holiday Oscar de la Renta with emerald wreath pins made her regretfully decline.

After walking a few feet past her father’s apartment house, Frankie hailed a taxi and resolved to spend the rest of the day, barring an emergency, at home with her cat. But as soon as she got in the cab Frankie opened the door again and said, “I’m terribly sorry. I left something upstairs.” She got out and turned back toward her childhood home.

“Merry Christmas, Frankie.” Abraham’s doorman called her by the nickname her father still used. “Here to see the folks?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “Merry Christmas.” Sometimes Frankie wished the doormen she had grown up with were still there. But then she would catch herself and think she was like those blue-haired dowagers who still lamented the loss of Rumpelmeyer’s, Longchamps, and Schrafft’s.

“I have an idea. Let’s go to Florida for New Year’s,” Frankie energetically announced to her father and Helen in their living room. She had spontaneously come up with the idea in the elevator.

“I won’t go to Miami.” Helen sat on a divan with her pinkie up. “People like Puff Daddy go there now.”

“His name is P. Diddy,” Frankie corrected her.

“What?” Helen didn’t like not having all the answers.

“Never mind. What about Palm Beach? We could find a nurse at The Breakers to take care of Dad. And Helen, you could have a real rest.”

“I don’t like nurses. They just watch The Price Is Right.” Helen shook her head.

“We’ll find one who doesn’t watch The Price Is Right. We’ll find one who watches Wheel of Fortune.” Seeing her father’s unanimated glare, Frankie was convinced she was doing the right thing. She had to liberate him from this overheated apartment. “C’mon, Helen, it’ll be fun. My friend Samantha Acton will be there.”

“You know Samantha Acton?” Helen was impressed. “I read about her all the time in Liz Smith.”

“Yes, she’s an old and good friend of mine.” Frankie took her father’s hand. She was banking on the Fashionable Mrs. to sway the vote.

“Is she a patient?” Helen asked.

“No, she doesn’t have children.”

“That’s terrible such a beautiful girl doesn’t have children. It’s a crime.”

“Yes, Helen. All women who don’t have children should be arrested.”

“I didn’t say that.” Helen was abrupt.

“All right. All beautiful women who don’t have children should be arrested.” Frankie smiled at her. She still relished her ability to trump Helen at her own game.