“Why would she miss her more at our house than at her house?” I asked, puzzled.

“Well,” said Nans. “Your mom really made that house your family’s home. Her stamp is all over it, from the garden in the back to her studio, to the mural she painted in Skylar’s room. It’s hard to be there and not think she’s going to come around the corner.”

“You know she’s not going to come around the corner!” I said a little loudly, and Nans glanced at me.

“Well, I think Mimi does too,” she said slowly. “But maybe part of her hopes that when she comes to visit, your mom will be there, just like she used to be.”

For a while I thought Mom would reappear. Every day I’d wake up and think, Maybe that was just a nightmare, and she would be downstairs making me French toast. But after a few months, I stopped thinking that.

“Do you think she likes coming here?” I asked.

“Your grandma? Oh, very much,” said Nans. “She just loves seeing you and Skylar and spending time with you. Right after your mom died, she thought about moving here because she missed you so much.”

“She did?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes,” said Nans. “But she was still working then, and her life was really in Chicago. So she made a promise to herself to visit as often as she could.”

Just then a car pulled out in front of us really slowly, and Nans tapped the brakes.

“Holy moly!” she said. Then she peered over the steering wheel. “Is that your cousin Lily?” she asked.

I looked at the car. “Probably,” I said.

“I am going to have a serious talk with her and with Charlie,” Nans said. “She can’t possibly think it’s okay to drive like that!”

Lily was a really bad driver. Grandpa made her park in the back of the restaurant, away from any customers, because in the first few months after she got her license, she hit two parked cars.

She didn’t drive fast and she was a really nervous driver. She said she didn’t like driving near any other cars, but of course, that was often unavoidable. Usually Uncle Charlie drove with her.

Nans went on and on about Lily’s driving until we got to the Park.

“Lily!” she said, rolling down the window as we pulled in. “Young lady, we are going to talk about your driving!”

Lily sighed, and I gave her a look as if to say sorry, but I also took it as an opportunity to hurry in.

Every morning Grandpa sits at the podium right before we open and watches everyone come to work. He knows who gets there on time and who slides in. He notices if you are trying to eat a bagel while you’re setting up or if your uniform isn’t clean.