“Aka Buster Henry, retired military. Got sick of uniforms. Likes costumes better.”

“Well, she might be a little strange, but she sure is devoted to your momma,” she said.

“I know. And you know what else?”

“What?”

“If I haven’t learned anything else this whole year, I learned that love comes in every color, shape, and size,” I said.

I was thinking about not only Suzanne’s affection for Momma but Leslie’s for Charlie, and mine for Archie and his boys, and his for Sharon, and my recently piqued interest in Ted.

“How are the boys?” I asked.

“Tyler and Hunter live in my pool now,” she said with a laugh. “I know it’s not my place to correct them, but I had to tell them to stop saying how happy they were that Sharon was dead.”

“That’s appropriately terrible,” I said with a smile on my face.

“Have you seen Archie?”

“Not even a sighting in passing. You?”

“Nope. Poor devil,” Maureen said.

I looked up at the sky. Even at four o’clock in the afternoon, it was blazing blue.

“I don’t know if I’d call him a poor devil,” I said.

“Why not?”

“I must be getting old,” I said.

Maureen looked at me and said, “At a certain point we all put away our rose-colored glasses, right?”

“You have to stop reading my mind, Maureen!” I laughed and she gave a little chuckle. “And I always thought I needed to get far away from here to understand the world a little better when all the while . . .”

“All the answers were right here under the freckles on your nose?”

“Yep.” I shook my head. “Isn’t that something? Oh, I expect there are things to see that are worth the trip.”

“Definitely.” She smiled. “Hey! Have you ever been to Italy?”

“Italy! No, can’t say I have. Only through the magic of Hollywood. But I think it might be super fun to ride on a Vespa and throw coins into fountains. How about you?”

“Me, either. But! I was going through the mail I usually throw out, and my alma mater is hosting a trip through Rome, Venice, and Florence, ten days, two thousand, all inclusive. Even airfare. Want to look at it?”

I thought how much money was in my Maserati fund and I couldn’t remember. And then I said I might.

“Can’t hurt to look,” I said. “Italy. Wow.”

“I really want to go, but I don’t want to go alone,” she said. “I’ll bring the brochure over or I’ll text you the link.”

“Sounds terrific, and hey, thanks for the brownies.”

“It’s nothing. I’m glad your momma’s home and that it went well.”

“Yeah, so are we. See you later!”