A month later

"Go, Marissa; we will be fine, won't we, my boy?"

Emmanuel, who was playing with his blocks and letters on his play mats, looked up at his grandmother, and his mother nodded her head and went back to his play.

Then he raised his head again and pointed at his mom, saying, " Mommy, pretty

"Oh yeah? Do you think so?" Marissa smiled and twirled a bit in the sleeveless electric blue ball gown she wore with a pair of strapless pencil heels and a dangling earring. Her neck was devoid of any jewelry, and she swept up her hair in an elegant updo.

"Of course, I...