Free Family Pictures by Jane Green

Sylvie examines the contents of the craft closet. Brown paper, raffia, a roll of cellophane. She smiles, glad she never sorted through this closet, never threw anything away.
    Now all she needs is a label. After pouring herself a fresh cup, she sits at the computer and experiments with fonts, sizes, colors until she finally comes up with something she likes.
    CANDLES BY SYLVIE
    MEDITERRANEAN FIG & AMBER
    It’s not great, but it works. It works even better when she sketches a fig leaf and scans it in, adding it to the label and changing the colors to a warm gray.
    “Perfect.” She grins, whispering to herself. Elegant and simple. Her mother will approve.

10
    Sylvie
    Angie flies into Harry’s, two shopping bags from Sigi’s on her arm, unaware of the heads turning at the gorgeous redhead, striding through without thinking to look around to see who she knows, focusing only on smiling at her friend, sitting at the back.
    “Oh God.” She dumps the bags on the floor next to Sylvie, planting a kiss on her cheek as she sits down. “Simon’s going to kill me. I just spent a fortune.”
    “Tell him it’s your birthday present.” Sylvie smiles, for Angie continually vows to stop spending money, but cannot resist popping into Sigi’s or Bowers whenever she finds herself passing by with a moment or two to spare. Leaving empty-handed is unthinkable, she explains. It would be “plain rude.”
    “ These are my birthday present.” She shows off beautiful sparkly earrings. “He gave them to me the other night after everyone left. Aren’t they beautiful ?”
    “They are. Gorgeous. And speaking of the other night, we had the best time. Thank you so much. Everything about it was perfect. Honestly, I think I had more fun than I’ve had in years.”
    “I know!” Angie grabs a passing waitress and orders a skinny cappuccino, extra shot of caffeine. “Wasn’t it great? I could barely move the next day, though. Oh my God, I’d forgotten what champagne does to me.”
    “Right. Because you drink it so rarely,” Sylvie laughs as she pours herself some more tea.
    “Not bottles and bottles of it. I tell you, I didn’t even mind turning forty, that’s how much fun it was.”
    Sylvie frowns. “I thought you were forty-three?”
    “Sssshhh,” hisses Angie. “The only people to know that are you and Simon, and if you tell anyone else, I may have to kill you.” She grins before lowering her voice. “Speaking of gossip, and I know we shouldn’t, but could you believe those pictures of Bill?”
    Sylvie sighs. “I can’t stop thinking about it. I feel so awful for both of them. Are we sure those pictures mean he’s definitely been having affairs? What about that congressman who did the same thing? I don’t think he ever did anything other than send the pictures. Maybe that’s what Bill did?” she asks doubtfully.
    Angie snorts. “Where there’s smoke … In any case, in this instance, unfortunately, Bill has definitely done more than just take pictures. Caroline’s discovered all kinds of terrible things. E-mails, receipts from Victoria’s Secret for underwear she’s never seen, and—”
    “Victoria’s Secret?” Sylvie can’t resist a half smile. “Of course she’s never seen it. Caroline in Victoria’s Secret? Surely she’s much more a designer underwear girl.”
    “That’s the point. She is. The Victoria’s Secret stuff is for the mistresses.” Angie shakes her head. “Frankly, Simon would be thrilled to have me in Victoria’s Secret. The one time I tried the flesh-colored T-shirt bra, he threatened to divorce me unless I burned it immediately.”
    Sylvie laughs. “I guess Simon thinks all Victoria’s Secret means black lace?”
    “Red, preferably.” Angie rolls her eyes. “I do try from time to time. You have to keep things hot to stop them from straying, but honestly, I’m so much more comfortable in the T-shirt bras.”
    “Wow.” Sylvie sits back. “Do you really think you have to keep