The birthday party was supposed to be different. Months earlier, Marcus had asked Amara what she wanted for sixteen. He offered a trip, a car for the following year, a designer wardrobe, a celebration at a hotel overlooking the city. Amara asked for something much smaller: a dinner at home, her closest friends, Aunt Ruth, and a chance to announce a scholarship in her mother's name for teenagers who wanted to study fashion or design.
Marcus had been proud of the idea. He promised that the family foundation would match whatever Amara raised from the celebration. They sat at the kitchen island drawing up a guest list, and for one brief evening he listened without glancing at his phone. Amara imagined candles in the garden, handmade place cards, and a table displaying photographs of her mother's studio. She imagined saying Naomi's name aloud without watching to see who would disapprove.
Then Marcus's company faced a difficult acquisition, and the planning passed to Celeste. The intimate dinner became a professionally managed event with photographers, business partners, sponsors, and people Amara didn't know. Celeste called it a chance to introduce the next Bennett generation to Atlanta society. She ordered gold-and-white balloons and replaced the handmade place cards with embossed menus. She promised to discuss the scholarship table later.
They never did. Each time Amara tried, Celeste said she was overwhelmed or that fundraising required more sophistication than a teenager could understand. A week before the party, a glossy program arrived from the printer. On the cover was a photograph of Celeste in a green evening gown and the words, CELESTE BENNETT PRESENTS AN EVENING OF NEW BEGINNINGS. Amara's birthday appeared in smaller print inside. Naomi's design studio was not mentioned at all.
Amara carried the program to the kitchen, where Mrs. Evelyn Price, the family's longtime house manager, was checking the delivery list. Evelyn had known Amara since she was small enough to sit on the counter and watch cookies bake. She read the cover, frowned, and looked up at the girl. "Have you shown your father?" she asked.
"He'll say she worked hard," Amara replied. "He'll tell me to be grateful."
Evelyn laid the program down carefully. "Your father can make mistakes, sweetheart. That doesn't mean you must pretend they're not mistakes."