Smashing success was indeed the right phrase to describe Marissa’s Opening. After the two couples who had come. A middle-aged woman had followed. Then three friends. Just as they were leaving, a grandmother had come in with her grandchildren to get them grown-up clothes as she had reckoned that the girls were fast becoming young ladies and needed the most refined clothes befitting the refined ladies they were turning out to be. Marissa had attended to the woman herself since she had been very particular about what she deemed refined clothing worthy of her grandchildren.

Pretty soon, everyone had pitched in as grandma was entertaining the children whose mothers were...