Efficient, as always. Rosie scanned the papers to be sure all was in order then quickly signed the indicated spots.
“Thanks for dropping them by.”
“No problem,” Pam said. “I should have had you sign them in the office yesterday but I was so worried about Phoebe it slipped my mind.”
“Any improvement?”
“Yes, actually, or I would have called off the whole concert. She is doing much better today.”
“Oh good.”
She and Pam chatted a bit longer before her friend excused herself to get ready for her date and with a breezy wave, headed out again.
Rosie found Emma in the kitchen, slicing cucumbers for a salad with unsettling vigor.
Every line of her daughter’s body seemed tense. Rosie frowned, wondering what she might have said or done to upset her now.
Not everything was about her, she reminded herself. Emma had the right to be upset about things that had nothing to do with Rosie.
“Is something wrong?” she finally asked as she took out the fruit plate she had prepared earlier.
Emma opened her mouth as if to answer then gave a slight shake of her head.
“No,” she said, clearly lying. “Everything’s fine. It’s been a long day.”
“If you’re too tired for the party, don’t worry about it. People will understand.”
“I’m looking forward to it. This will be fun.”
Emma still seemed distracted over the next hour but she seemed to throw herself into the party preparations, even after people started to trickle into Rosie’s yard.
Most neighbors walked, since everyone invited lived within a few blocks of her place, but a few of the older residents with mobility needs parked in her driveway.
Rosie directed them and had finished helping Polly Anthony, one of her favorite people, from her vehicle when she spotted Andrew Morgan and his children approaching on foot from the direction of Stormhaven.
To her surprise, Finn pulled away from the other two and rushed to her, throwing his arms around her waist. “Hi, Rosie!” he exclaimed.
“Hi there, Mr. Finn,” she said as she hugged him back. “I’m so glad you could come.”
“Me, too. Dad says we’ll only stay a few minutes, though. Only long enough to eat and meet a few people.”
She met Andrew’s gaze and saw with amusement that he looked chagrinned at his son’s candid revelation.
“Sounds like a good plan,” she answered. “There should be plenty of good food. Thank you for coming.”
Zara smiled back, already looking around with an eagerness that told Rosie she was probably looking around for someone she might know.
“Where’s Dottie?” Finn asked.
“She’s over with my mom in the shade there by the tent. I believe your grandmother is over there, too. That’s a sandbox, by the way, if you’re interested.”
He looked skeptical and confused. “A tent in a sandbox? That’s weird,” he said.
“Finn,” his father said, again looking mortified at his blunt child.
“I thought it was weird, too, when I first heard the idea. But it’s pretty fun, actually. The sand stays inside and you never have to worry about cats using your sandbox for a litter box.”
“Ew,” the boy said but he headed in that direction with his sister close behind.