I worked at the library that day, and Tyler and Hunter were among the dozen or so children who attended the workshop. I sat with them on the low chairs and helped them choose the colors of their petals as I moved from child to child. I’d put together an example to show them what we were going to make. Hunter asked me for a small oval-shaped piece of brown felt. I watched as he attached it to the tip of a petal with a drop of glue. Then a huge smile crossed his face.

“My flower has a honey bee!” he said proudly.

The next thing I knew I was cutting brown felt for all the others until every last child had a honey bee on their flower. I showed them how to mark the body with a yellow felt-tip pen and we added tiny gold wings. No regulation honey bee would confuse these fabric imitations for sisters, but mine might be flattered to know they were so admired. I would tell them tomorrow.

When the class was over, I walked Hunter and Tyler home. There was a Mercedes-Benz with Ohio license plates in our driveway, so I knew Leslie had arrived. She was safe, so that was good. But there was a U-Haul trailer attached to the back bumper. Not good.

“All right, you two! I’ll see you later.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Tyler said.

“Are you coming for supper?” Hunter asked.

“I don’t think so, sweetheart,” I said. “My sister just arrived from Ohio for a visit, so I’m afraid I’ll be expected to eat with her. I’ll see y’all tomorrow!”

“She drove by herself from Ohio?” Tyler said. “That’s an awfully long drive!”

“Dad has a girlfriend,” Hunter announced. “She has two cats.”

“Excuse me?” I said too loudly as every hair on my body felt like it was standing on end. I was caught completely by surprise. “A girlfriend?”

“Shut up, Hunter!” Tyler said and looked at me, realizing, even at his age, that I was not delighted to hear it. “She’s not a girlfriend, if you know what I mean.”

What did he mean? Did girlfriend have a new definition?

“She’s a dentist,” Hunter said. “They got fixed up.”

“Well, that’s nice. I guess,” I said in a voice so low I could hardly hear myself. “Who stayed with y’all?”

“My teacher, Mrs. Hamilton,” Hunter said.

Hunter was oblivious to my feelings, but Tyler knew I was upset. When my eyes met his, I could see that he wasn’t too happy, either. It was odd for Archie to ask someone other than me to watch the boys while he went somewhere. Maybe he hadn’t wanted me to know he had a date. I regrouped immediately.

“Tyler? You know it’s good for your father to have some female company, don’t you?”