CH.23

Emmeline made her way towards the kitchen, still marveling over the twins' insightful comments.

She heard Minnie gently scolding her son. "Ruhn, we don't say things like that, sweetie. It's not a nice word, even if it's true sometimes. We talk about being kind to everyone, remember?"

Emmeline hadn't expected such a heavy conversation from what was supposed to be a light-hearted visit with a friend.

She took a deep, steadying breath and quickly got to work pouring four glasses of cold lemonade, the tart aroma refreshing her senses and helping to clear her head.

She carefully arranged the freshly baked lemon cupcakes on four plates, taking care not to smudge the pale-yellow frosting that she'd painstakingly piped earlier.

The familiar motions of playing hostess helped push away the lingering discomfort from their earlier exchange.

When everything was set on a large tray, Emmeline took another deep breath and returned to the living room, plastering on her best hostess smile as she rejoin