"A date!" Mae exclaimed and put her hand to her heart.

"Now, Mama, don't be keepin' me with your questions. I'll tell you about it later - he'll be here in half an hour and I've got to get ready."

She stood up and gave Mae a hug before dashing out of the room.

Mae put away the groceries and set the table for two, all the while wondering. It was high time the girl had showed interest in a man. Her musings were interrupted by the toot of a car horn out front and Carrie flying down the stairs in a cloud of floral pink dress, high heels and expensive perfume.

"Mama, I've got to run. He's here. Please make sure Joey is in bed by 9:30 - don't be keeping him up all night with your stories. And make sure you wipe Lucy's paws before she gets into bed with him. I'll be back by 11."

Mae just stood there like a stone. She was accustomed to seeing Carrie dressed up and pretty for church, but the girl was beyond pretty now, she positively glowed. She started to open her mouth, but Carrie rushed forward and kissed her, picked up her purse from the kitchen counter and turned on a high heel.

She stopped at the kitchen doorway and faced Mae one more time.

"By the way, Mama - he's a doctor! In fact, he's Lucy's veterinarian."

With that she turned and rushed down the hallway and out the front door. She stood on the porch a moment and waved in the direction of the car in the driveway. Then she took the porch steps two at a time and went down the walkway twirling her purse and with a swing in her step. Before she got into his car Carrie looked up toward the living room window, where she knew Mae would be standing behind the curtains, and she grinned from ear to ear. There had been few times in her 34 years that she had been able to make her mama speechless. She figured that by the time Mae lost that slack-jawed look she'd utter one long "Lord, you sure do work in mysterious ways," and then she'd be burning up the phonelines of the Deep South with the news.

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