"Oh, could you?"

"I would be happy to.” Connie sat down, and in a matter of minutes had created four colorful markers that could be attached to the handles of Bebe's luggage.

"Oh, thank you,” Bebe gushed then jumped up and hugged her, almost knocking the older woman over.

"De nada, de nada,” Connie said, and forcefully disengaged herself. “You run along now. I'm sure you have things to do."

"I do,” Bebe replied, clearly grateful Connie understood. She tucked the ribbon markers in her oversized pink hobo bag and left.

"She's so frightfully busy,” Connie said, and then laughed.

"Why did you indulge her?” Beth asked. “I was making her do it herself."

"Because nothing you were doing was going to change who she is. And did you want her here for the next hour?"

"Who her?” Robin said as she came in. Today's sleeveless yoga top was pale pink. Her pants were their usual black Lycra.

"Oh, Bebe was here trying to make those braided ribbon thingies that you put on your suitcase handle so you can find your bag more easily at the airport,” Harriet said.

"Connie was just explaining why she made them for her instead making her struggle through doing them herself,” Beth said.

"You wanted her out of here?” Robin guessed.

"See, she understands,” Connie said. She went toward the kitchen. “Anyone want anything?

Robin joined her in the kitchen, and they both returned with cups of coffee.

"Lauren is in the middle of a work project and might join us later, and Sarah was on front desk duty at the senior center, so we can start as soon as DeAnn gets here,” Harriet explained.

"DeAnn's here,” the missing woman called from the hallway. “Marjory is cutting some backing fabric for my dot-on-dot quilt,” she said, referring to the product of a class she had taken a few months earlier. The quilt top was a circular pattern made completely from dotted fabrics.

She came in tucking her new purchase into her quilting bag as she went to her usual spot at the table. Like most groups, each person had a favorite place.

"As I told you all on the phone, I asked everyone to come in today so we can plan a comfort quilt for Mavis,” Harriet went on. “We also need to discuss what to do about Ilsa, who also lost her husband."

"Oh, that's a tricky one,” Robin said.

"Let's think about that while we decide what we're going to do for Mavis,” Connie suggested.

"Good idea,” Harriet agreed. “Suggestions?"

"I like the idea you and I were talking about,” Beth said. “Something different enough that she can't associate it with Gerald in any way."

"That's a new twist,” Jenny said. “Usually, we're struggling to make our comfort quilt bring out memories of the lost loved one."

"How about soft florals?” Connie suggested. “We could do pale versions of the colors she likes."

"That sounds good to me,” Robin said. “And I think we should use a simple pattern so the fabric print shows more."

"Corn and Beans?” Jenny suggested, referring to a block made from three different sizes of triangle formed into squares.

"How about shoo-fly?” Carla suggested. “We've been using that with the young mothers group."

"I like that idea,” Aunt Beth said. “It's nice and simple."

"If we choose the fabric pretty quick, we can start cutting our blocks while we're here,” DeAnn said.

"Mavis usually buys rust colors and dark blues and greens,” Carla offered.

"So, let's try for lighter, softer versions of those colors,” Beth said.

"And maybe some peach,” Connie offered.

Robin and DeAnn laughed, and Jenny smiled.

"What?” Connie asked. “Peach would go nicely with those colors."

"And you would have suggested it even if it hadn't matched,” Robin pointed out.

Connie smiled. “It does go with everything,” she said in defense of her favorite color.

"Come on, ladies, everyone grab a bolt and meet back here,” Aunt Beth said.

"I could carry yours,” Carla offered Harriet.

"That would be real nice,” Harriet said. “Now, you've been working here for months. Where is the best match for Connie's colors?"

"We just got a new shipment from Hoffman. There's a floral print that has all those colors. I could check it in real quick,” Carla said with a devilish grin Harriet hadn't seen before.

"Lead the way,” she said.

They were sitting at the table again when the remainder of the group began to filter in with their fabric choices.

"That's perfect!” Robin said as she set her bolt of pale-blue batik on the table. “Where was that?"

"Yeah,” DeAnn said and put her pale-yellow floral on top of Robin's batik.

"We cheated,” Harriet said with a laugh. Carla had carried in three bolts of coordinated print from the new line.

"Hey, it's not cheating if it works,” Robin said.

The group spent the next fifteen minutes rejecting and then replacing various bolts of fabric until they had a grouping everyone was sure would coordinate with Mavis's color palette. Carla took the bolts to the cutting table by the cash register to cut fat quarters of each for each quilter.

"Now, what about Ilsa?” Jenny asked.

"Aunt Beth and I were thinking we need to ask Mavis before we give anything to Ilsa,” Harriet said.

"But we could make them, and then if Mavis objects, which I think she won't, but if she does, we could use them for the raffle quilt next month,” Jenny said.

"All right, what are we going to do?"

They discussed and then rejected an Americana-style quilt with folk art imagery. They decided to stay away from the traditional blue and white associated with Dutch motifs and finally settled on shades of brown with dark and light blues and an accent of yellow done in a log cabin pattern.

Aunt Beth suggested they pull colors from their own stashes and go for a scrappy look. The rest agreed then got out their cutting mats to start working on the block for Mavis.

"Red alert,” Carla said as she brought in the stack of fat quarters. “I saw Mavis out the front window. She was down the block but headed this way."

The women stuffed their fat quarters in their bags and quickly tucked their rotary cutters back in their tool kits.

"Mavis,” Robin said when she came in. “Can I get you some tea?"

"No, but does Marjory have any cold water in her refrigerator?” Mavis's face was pale, and her lipstick had worn away.

"I'll get it,” Carla said and left the room.

"Did you get the cousins?” Aunt Beth asked.

"Yes, we did, and they had a little surprise package with them,” she said.

"Surprise package?” Harriet said.

"That's what I said,” Mavis stalled as she accepted a frosty bottle of water from Carla. “Keep in mind I've met Theobald and Uda,” she went on after taking a drink. “And their two daughters. Well, I think they were planning on claiming the child with them was their granddaughter."

"They brought a child with them?” Harriet said.

"They must have lost track of the fact that I have five boys with Gerald. Either that, or they hadn't taken a good look at the Christmas pictures I've been sending them, because the little girl they brought is a dead ringer for my Harry. At least, for what he looked like when he was twelve.” Mavis took another drink of her water.

"Gerard had a daughter with Ilsa?” Aunt Beth asked.

"Looks like it."

"How do you feel about that?” Connie asked.

"Compared to finding out Gerald has been alive for the past twenty years? It's just one more thing. And besides, I couldn't think about how I was feeling when that little girl is devastated."

"Wow,” Harriet said. “This just keeps getting more complicated, doesn't it?"

"Have you told the boys yet?” Connie asked.

"No,” Mavis said. “I dropped the Dutch bunch off at the bed and breakfast at Smuggler's Cove and took Ilsa back to her cottage at DeAnn's and then I came here.” She sipped her water. “Ilsa and I figured we'd give the cousins a day to recover from the trip and then do the funeral on Saturday. I need to get the boys and their families together to meet the cousins and spring the surprise on them as soon as possible. I want everyone to have whatever reaction they're going to have and then have time to calm down before we go to church."