Then—
The sprinklers exploded to life.
“CLAIRE!”
Patricia came storming back inside completely soaked.
Her carefully styled hair was plastered against one side of her face.
Her pale-blue dress clung to her shoulders.
Water dripped from her earrings.
And every step she took made one shoe squeak.
Squeak.
Squeak.
Squeak.
“Not. One. Word,” she warned.
Derek immediately turned away because he was laughing too hard.
Patricia pointed at me.
“You knew about those sprinklers!”
I tried to look innocent.
“You asked for garden portraits.”
Then the photographer hurried inside.
“Family pictures in five minutes.”
Patricia stared at him in horror.
“I can’t take pictures like THIS!”
She touched her ruined hair.
“My dress is soaked!”
I looked across the room.
Lily stood beside Derek in her pink dress.
Her vitiligo was completely visible.
Then I looked back at Patricia.
“You still look like yourself.”
She understood immediately.
