On one of Ben’s turns, she’d spotted her mother-in-law, hands clapping with the music. The way she laughed, mouth open and eyes sparkling—it was so Sophia that for a moment, Olivia couldn’t breathe. Adrianna’s words at the kitchen table had returned to her. I am Sophia’s mother, and since she is gone, I must speak for her. It is a hard burden sometimes. Olivia didn’t believe in God, or that Sophia’s spirit had floated above them, watching the dance. But Adrianna watched for her daughter, and today it wasn’t a burden. It was a joy.
