The event turned out perfect. Oliver and Ava outdid themselves. The room glittered with her snowflakes and candles. The silent auction was a success and Lucas handled receiving all the checks which gave Beth time to talk to whoever she chose. She quietly told Joanna she was moving out of Lucas' place.
"But why? You're so good for him."
"Because we want different things. I want what you have and Lucas definitely doesn't."
"That doesn't surprise me. I'll miss you," she said, hugging her.
"We can still be friends. I'll need your expert advice when I finally have a child."
Joanna laughed. "I'm no expert."
She also had a nice conversation with Mrs. Barton, Stacey. There was no doubt that Oliver's parents loved him. She was envious because she wasn't that lucky. She laughed when Stacey referred to Oliver as her Ollie. Once upon a time they shared everything, but he never told her about Ollie.
First chance, she said, "Nice party Ollie."
He smiled. "No, no... I saw you talking to my mother. She's the only one who says that and lives. She had to differentiate me from my dad."
"I can't guarantee that I won't have a slip of the tongue."
In a very low voice, he said, "I'd like to have a slip of your tongue. Could I persuade you to go down to my office?"
She laughed and walked away. Hayley was coming to the after party. Beth thought, if only she had an ice cream cone maybe she would recognize her.
Beth was convinced it was the best gala ever. She felt sorry that Lucas' grandmother claimed to be too frail to come. Beth suspected it was less about the cold temperature and more about the fact the crowd had shifted and was no longer her contemporaries. Some of their offspring were here, but the older generation had stopped coming before she turned the reins over to Beth. Mrs. Sanders was another person she would miss when she wasn't part of Lucas' life. She used to visit her on occasional Wednesdays. From the very beginning, it reminded her of Oliver visiting her Nana that summer. The two women were very different, although they both nurtured their grandchildren when their own children failed. Just like Nana, Grandmother gave Lucas his happy childhood memories. They always had less than stellar parents as something in common. She liked that Oliver had wonderful parents. They would make the best grandparents. Oh dear, she thought, that's jumping the gun.