Maggie paused and said, “Yes.”

“Have you seen it?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Did you know that Mama was going to ask me to wear it until Layla was old enough to wear it?”

Maggie said, “Yes.”

“So why didn’t you warn me?” I asked.

“Because I didn’t want to influence your decision. I wanted you to decide whether to wear it and say yes or no for yourself.”

The silence in the room now was palatable and only interrupted by the sound of the coastal breeze as it lifted the curtains covering the old double-hung windows that faced the magnolia trees and the backyard below.

I really didn’t know what to say, so my lawyer training kicked in and I said nothing at all.