The venue buzzed with chatter, laughter, and the subtle clinks of champagne flutes. Bold strokes of color adorned the canvases on the walls, but it was Charlie who commanded the room, a vision in an avant-garde, deep plum ensemble that hugged her curves like a second skin.

When she saw Linsy approaching with a bouquet of sunflowers in hand, her face lit up.

“My baby!” Charlie beamed, abandoning a group of gallery-goers mid-conversation and sweeping Linsy into a ...