Double update today.

Tessa returned home from dropping her girls off at school the day after the storm and stood in front of her closet. The walk-in was filled, but not with clothing. In the back corner were Christmas decorations and wrapping paper. She had some boxes of mementos and items belonging to her old life. Sweep. Maybe she should have hidden the album so Maya couldn't have found it. Deep inside, she knew her girls needed to hear about their father.

She had the maroon cocktail dress she wore to the Simon's Christmas party. She hated spending Christmas in Westchester, but David's parents deserved to see their granddaughters. She had three black dresses from another time, place, and life.

Taking them out, she didn't even know if they were still in style. She lived in Maine, so would anyone even know if they weren't. She lifted her sweater over her head and pushed off her jeans. In her cotton underwear and beige bra, she looked like she'd stolen the under things of a sixty-year-old.

She wasn't in awful shape. There was the front pooch. It was the result of two babies, and she hid it with clothes. Then there were the vertical silver lines sprouting out of the cotton waistband up toward her navel. She picked up the dress that had been her favorite, but she wasn't the only one who loved when she wore it. She squeezed her eyes shut. Sweep.

Stepping into it, it fit over her hips. Slipping the arms in and reaching behind to zip it, it surprised her that it fit loosely. Had she lost that much weight? Dinners at home were more healthy than restaurants and takeout and parties with the alcohol she used to drink. In her new life, she had a few sips every Christmas, but didn't have a drop of anything in her house.

All three dresses were too baggy. She should donate them, but wasn't ready to part with her past even though she buried it. She slipped on her Christmas dress. It was a gift from her mother-in-law. Probably to ensure her drab daughter-in-law looked presentable to her guests. The dress would have to do, because it made little sense to fuss about a party she didn't plan to stay at longer than an hour.

On Saturday afternoon, she drove back to The Point. Megan had invited them for a playdate. Before Megan could greet them, Chloe had kicked off her boots and ran off with Abbie. Maya stayed by her side. Usually, it was Chloe tagging along to Maya's friends' houses.

Megan laughed as if children running through her house were no big deal. "Come on in. Would you like a drink? I've got ice tea, soda or wine."

Tessa shook her head. "Ice tea sounds good."

"I've hot tea too, if you..."

"No iced is fine."

"Maya?"

"She'll have water."

"I have juice pouches." Megan tried.

"Oh, okay." Her girls never drank soda and rarely drank juice.

Maya smiled like she was being offered a treat.

"Do you want to play with Abbie and Chloe? Sophie's in her room with Ivy. I'll let her know you're here."

Tessa panicked. "Let her play with her friend." Megan's daughter was five years older than Maya.

Megan dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "She loves to play with every younger child, except Abbie, or at least just not as much as Abbie would like."

Megan disappeared up the stairs, but returned quickly. Smiling, she said, "Go up to her room. They want to play school." Maya bounced up the stairs. "I think Sophie wants to be a teacher, but it may be a guise to tell Maya what to do."

Tessa was certain Maya would be happy either way. She looked up to the older girl.

Megan sat down. "So how did you take the news?"

"What news?"

"The school board."

"Oh, that. No chance my kids' tardies will decrease. I knew it was a losing battle."

"It will take some adjustments in our house. I'll probably get Abbie to the bus and then come home and finish getting ready. The twins walk to the bus stop unless it's raining, but Peter doesn't run in the rain, so it works out."

"Is it hard having two working parents?"

"Hard was getting the twins out to daycare when they were little."

"I never had to do that." Because they had a nanny and then she left her life behind. 'Left her life behind' implied that she had no life now. Her daughters were her life.

Megan's voice was soft. "Hey, are you okay?" Tessa forced a smile and nodded. Sweep. "I'm a good listener, but I'm also very good at keeping private things private."

"Really, I'm fine. This schedule and controversy has wreaked havoc around town."

"I know. The twins go to bed at nine on school nights, but weekends are a different story. With sleepovers and activities, it gets late."

Tessa didn't even want to think about sleepovers. She planned to put them off as long as possible.

"Truthfully, too many high school kids are lethargic in the morning and a half hour won't change that. Meanwhile, I will have to work a half hour later."

Tessa smiled. "So you did have an opinion."

"I guess I did, but not enough to go against my best friend."

"That woman scares me."

Megan shook her head. "She's harmless. Last fall when the family lost their house in the fire, she spearheaded the drive to support them."

"I'm sure they were friends."

"No, their daughter was in her son's class three years ago. She just cares about everything too much."

Tessa wasn't sure she believed Megan, but their conversation moved on. Tessa enjoyed hearing about growing up on The Point.

There was a knock on the door, and the door opened.

Megan's friend appeared. "Oh! You have company."

"Kristi, this is Tessa."

Tessa nodded and smiled. She didn't want to be rude. The woman she was afraid of was only an inch or so taller than her. Although she was blond, it looked like her color came from a salon.

"Abbie's playing with friends. That's nice. I remember our kids at that age. They'd happily play for ages."

Megan said, "The big girls are playing with Tessa's oldest."

"I came over to see if Ivy wanted to go to the mall with me. Sophie is welcome."

Megan waved her hand. "Go ask them."

Megan let her friend walk upstairs. Tessa always shut her door when anyone came over.

When Kristi finally came back, she said, "They're picking up the school. Abbie's room is a mess too."

Megan said, "No doubt."

Tessa said, "Chloe needs to help clean it up."

Megan smiled. "I'll supervise. It doesn't take long."

"We should think about going." Tessa didn't want to stay too long.

Megan said, "I'll get the little girls cleaning."

Megan left Tessa with her friend. She didn't know what to say to her, but the silence was awkward. She was about to ask how long she'd lived on The Point, when Kristi spoke first.

"I was wondering. Was your daughter really asleep at the school board meeting?"

Tessa sighed. Apparently the woman hadn't moved on. "She was and congratulations on your victory." Kristi smiled and stood taller. Tessa added, "It was nice of your daughter to play with Maya."

"Mom, we're ready for the mall." Her daughter came down with Sophie. She smiled. "Guess what? Maya had Mrs. Thorpe for Kindergarten too."

Sophie said, "She's my auntie."

Maya said, "My aunt lives in New York."

Tessa liked her privacy, but it was hard to keep her kids from talking.

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