Bette slipped the key in the front door lock, giving the heavy oak door a nudge with her knee to open it. I really need to get that fixed one of these days, she thought.

”You should really get that fixed, B,” Angie said, elbowing her way past her mother and into the house. Bette smiled to herself. Like mother like daughter. Angie dropped her suitcase inside the door, kicked off her sneakers and wandered down the hall to the kitchen. Bette watched her, feeling a warmth come over her that her baby was finally home. A week had felt like a month. Slipping her black heels off and flexing her toes, Bette padded barefoot into the kitchen after her daughter.

The kitchen island looked lonely and abandoned without Angie’s usual school clutter on it, but in a few days all would be returned to normal. Bette opened up the refrigerator while Angie poured herself some water.

”Hungry? I know it’s late, but if you’re hungry I could put together a sandwich, or some pancakes?” Bette asked, looking over the shelves, considering what she could conjure.

”I’m fine, I ate on the plane. Did you know I had empty seats on both sides this time?” Angie exclaimed. Bette smiled softly, amused by her thirteen-year-old daughter’s delight at the simple things in life. ”It was awesome.”

”Are you sure? I think we’ve got some pie leftover from – ”

”Mom! I’m not hungry. I’m okay!” Angie exclaimed, wiping water from around her mouth. Bette put her hands up, surrendering.

”Okay, okay!” she chuckled, walking over to her daughter. Bette wrapped her arms around Angie, pulling her in for a squeeze. She buried her nose in her daughter’s hair, basking in the joy of her. Angie squirmed.

”Alright, I’m not going anywhere,” Angie giggled. Bette squeezed her tighter. ”Mom! Okay! I missed you too,”. Angie wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist, gave her a cursory hug and wriggled out from underneath. She half-skipped down the hall to retrieve her suitcase.

”So how was it?” Bette asked, straightening out her shirt, smiling across at Angie as she walked towards her. Slowly but surely, it was getting less painful to send Angie to Toronto to spend time with her other mother.