This wasn’t true. Ellie always came behind the counter when she visited Tessa’s Cakes. That was, she came behind the counter if Aunt Tess was there in order to do what she just did.

“She doesn’t care,” Ellie shot back and this was true but Laura instantly got a “mom face” that clearly stated without words that she was not in the mood for backtalk.

Ellie read her mother’s face, she scrunched her face, looked up at me, unscrunched her face, gave me a toothy grin, and then skipped out from behind the counter.

“Go, sit down with your friends,” Laura ordered. “I’ll be there with cupcakes and milk in a second but I won’t be there with cupcakes and milk if you don’t behave.”

I could tell by Ellie’s face she took this seriously and I could also tell it by her ensuing actions for she did not delay in rounding up her three also mermaid-attired friends (obviously this slumber party had a theme) and herding them to an open table at the window.

Suni took my tray of cupcakes. I shot her a grateful smile and moved to Laura and the minute I arrived she started bitching in an undertone.

“Remind me never but never to do this again. I knew it. I’ve done it before but, like childbirth, you forget how freaking painful it is in between times and therefore convince yourself you’re good for another go. And Ellie gets invited to slumber parties all the time and it was our turn. I shouldn’t care. Turns don’t matter. Peace of mind matters. Not losing your hearing due to the constant shrieking of little girls matters. Sanity matters. If those girls’ mothers are fool enough to take on that energy and noise level, great, fine, more power to them. But I… am… not.”

I nodded like I understood (when I actually didn’t) and opened my mouth to say something soothing but she kept bitching.

“And Austin abandoned me. He had four hours with the girls last night and he took off first thing this morning leaving me a note.”

Oh man. Not a smooth move on Austin’s part. I had a feeling Austin was in the doghouse.

Laura kept right on going.