“Did you meet Sandy before you left?” Maggie buckled her seat belt and turned toward her mother, her eyes sparkling.

Katharine started the car and drove out onto the street. “I didn’t exactly meet her formally, but I passed a woman at the door. I assume that was Sandy?”

“Yeah, that’s her. It’s so exciting,” Maggie’s voice rose to a high squeak. “The girls told me she and Pastor Brad are going to be married. Can you believe it?”

Katharine swallowed a lump of disappointment that had risen up from nowhere for no apparent reason. “Why wouldn’t I believe it?” Because she didn’t want to believe it, that’s why. “She looks like a very lovely woman.”

“Lovely’s not half of it, Mom. Sandy’s absolutely–” Maggie paused, searching for a suitable word. “She’s absolutely fun and fabulous and fantastic.”

Katharine steered the car up the hill, toward their condo building. “Wow!” she tried to make her voice as awestruck as possible. “Not only am I impressed with this amazing woman, but I’m dazzled by your use of three alliterative adjectives.” The green monster was raising its head and with the severity of a strict school teacher she fought to push it down.

The sarcasm didn’t escape Maggie, who snorted indignantly. “I wish you’d stop trying to be funny. Sandy really is nice. I mean it, Mom.”

In the dim glow of a passing streetlight, Katharine could see the disdainful look Maggie threw at her over her shoulder. Being dismissed by her daughter because of some wonder-woman called Sandy didn’t sit well with her.

“I can understand ‘nice’,” she said. “But fun, fabulous, and fantastic sounds a bit overblown to me.” Oh blast it! She was still doing it.

“It’s not overblown,” Maggie countered hotly. “And you sound jealous.”

Katharine started. God, was it so obvious even a kid could see through her? “I’m sorry,” she said, placing a placating hand on Maggie’s knee. “It wasn’t kind of me to make comments about your Sandy. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.” Oh, yes she did. “I’m sure she’s a wonderful person.”

“Yes, she is,” Maggie stated, sounding only slightly less offended. “But she’s not my Sandy. She’s Pastor Brad’s.”

Beyond Forgiveness is available as an e-book from Desert Breeze Publishing and in print from Amazon.com.