Mom's voice drifted through the door before she appeared.
Standing in the doorway with Serena clutching her oversized bouquet, I caught the little girl's eye and we shared a mischievous grin.
The second Mable stepped inside, flowers exploded into her view.
She jumped back, completely forgetting whatever lecture she'd planned for me. Behind the blooms, tiny Serena wrestled with a bouquet nearly twice her size, flashing that impish smile.
Mable's eyes went glassy, her nose scrunching up.
Looking at Serena seemed to transport Mable somewhere else—probably remembering when I was that small, stumbling home from school with flowers bigger than my whole body.
Back then, I'd announced, "Mom, Mother's Day's coming up. I handpicked these just for you at the flower shop. You like them?"
After Mable nodded, I'd joked, "Mom, stare any harder and these flowers are gonna flatten me."
Watching Mable freeze up, I quickly swooped in and rescued the bouquet from Serena.
