Derek gently wiped my tears, then helped me up, and took Renee into his arms.

"You're allowed to cry for two minutes, any longer and you will hurt your eyes."

I hugged him, resting my head on his shoulder, "I'm done crying now."

He patted my back and whispered, "Help your Mom up."

When I turned around and bent down, Mom was tipping her wine cup over, letting the last drops soak into the ground.

Mom opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. Seeing ...