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Morgan had gone to the house with Carla the year before, but Abby and Charlie had never been here.The expression on her sisters’ faces were the same ones Morgan had the first time she saw the house: wide eyes and open mouths.

“It’s wild, isn’t it?”Morgan said.Abby and Charlie nodded; Morgan continued, “Mom told me that the house was built in the early nineteen hundreds, but four years ago, Ginny restored it.Wait until you see the gorgeous view of the Hollywood sign.”

“I can’t believe a friend of Mom’s lives here,” Abby said.

“Ginny’s father was a famous sports announcer and left the house to her in his will.”

“Wow, I wish we had a father like that,” Abby said.

“I wish we hadanyfather,” Charlie said.

They walked up to the oversized pine doors with beveled glass in the center.Morgan raised her hand to knock, but the door opened before her hand met the wood.Ginny threw her arms around Morgan, who stepped happily into them.The hug was warm, tight and loving.Morgan looked up at the sky.Mom, thank you for at least leaving us Ginny.She’s not you, but she’s here for us, and that helps.

“I’m so glad to see you all again,” Ginny said, hugging Charlie and Abby.“Please come in.”

Even with its stately columns and twelve-foot-high ceilings, the interior of Ginny’s house felt cozy.She led them into the dining room.

“Please sit,” Ginny said, pointing to the long glass table, which could have seated a small village.The table was adorned with bagels, and cream cheese, deviled eggs, and a platter of potato pancakes.

Morgan caught a whiff of the scent of garlic bagels, which took her back to her childhood and a special time that she and her sisters had shared with her mother.Every New Year’s Day, Carla would set up four TV trays and pass around bagels, cream cheese, and deviled eggs.Then they’d watch the Rose Parade while they ate.After each of the girls turned twelve, Carla would pour a tiny bit of champagne into their orange juice glass, and they’d toast to the new year.

When Abby turned twelve and had her first mimosa, she acted drunk and wouldn’t stop giggling.It wasn’t until years later that Carla confessed that she had never actually given them champagne.It was only sparkling apple cider.

“It’s so nice of you to have us over,” Charlie said to Ginny then pointed to the table.“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

“It’s nothing.I’d do anything for you three.”

“Thank you, we’re happy to be here,” Morgan said.

“I know how hard this has been for you guys and how much you miss your mom.I miss her so much, too,” Ginny said, then stood back up.“Oh, I forgot the orange juice.”Ginny ran off to the kitchen, where Morgan saw her grab a tissue and wipe her eyes.

When Ginny came back in, her mascara had slightly smudged.She poured orange juice into each of their glasses.

“Morgan said you have some questions for me,” Ginny said, “but as close as your mother and I were, there were a lot of things she wouldn’t talk to me about.”

“Is one of them our father?”Abby asked.

“Yes, the only thing she told me about him was how they met,” Ginny said.

“That’s pretty much the only thing she ever told us, too,” Abby said.

“Did you know she got married again?”Morgan asked.

“That wasn’t a real marriage.I met him once.He’s a nice guy,” Ginny said.

“We just met him, too,” Abby said.

“Carla told you about him?She told me she didn’t want you all to find out; she thought you would think he took advantage of her,” Ginny said.

“She didn’t tell us.We found his name in her will,” Charlie said.

“I’m not surprised, Carla was always generous.”

Morgan reached across the table for the water pitcher and poured herself a glass.“Was my mom depressed about anything?”Morgan asked, taking a sip.

“Not that I could tell.And I talked to her a few days before she…she…” Ginny’s voice trailed off, and her hand began to shake.Morgan put her hand on top of Ginny’s.Ginny took a breath, then continued.“Your mom seemed fine other than being stressed that the video of her saving her neighbor was all over the internet.She couldn’t stand that the media had camped out in front of her house.”

“There’s no way she’d kill herself because she didn’t want to go outside for a few days,” Abby said, looking at her sisters.