The final product was magnificent. It was large—big enough to cover the entire top section of the front of their refrigerator. There was no specific subject; Carrie had filled her painting with swooping free-form strokes of purple, yellow, orange, green, and blue. Then, still not satisfied, she cut gold and silver paper into stars and pasted them on. Finally, she'd mounted the whole thing onto the brightest red posterboard she could find. When it was finished, she stood back and looked at it, completely satisfied. This picture was worthy of her beautiful mother. This would make her mother happy.

“It's so good, I wish I could put it up on the bulletin board in the hallway,” said Ms. Margulies. But of course Carrie was taking it home.

She wrapped it in newspaper to protect it when she walked from school to the apartment, and she waited impatiently for her mother to come in. When she did, as usual, Rose had a new offering for Project Fridge, and she headed straight for the kitchen to tape it to the refrigerator door. Barely able to contain her excitement, Carrie burst in after her.

“This is for you!” she announced breathlessly, and handed her mother the masterpiece. “Do you like it?”

“It's lovely,” Rose said. She didn't smile her radiant smile that the shelter kids got, but she did give Carrie a hug. Then she looked more carefully at the picture. “They really do a wonderful job of fostering creativity at PS Sixteen, don't they?”

She handed the picture back to Carrie.

That's it? Carrie thought. After all the weeks of work, after all the hours spent anticipating her mother's delight, this couldn't be the only response.

“But do you like it?” she demanded. “Do you really like it?”

“Of course I do. And I'm so grateful we live in a neighborhood with one of the best elementary schools in the city We just need to keep reminding ourselves how lucky we are.”

And then, instead of taking the Project Fridge pictures off their refrigerator to make room for Carrie's gift, Rose brought it into the living room and propped it up on the chest of drawers where she kept her clothes. Carrie knew she could have asked her mother to put her painting on the refrigerator, but she wanted Rose to do it on her own—that was the whole point.