"Pronto," Danielle answered her phone. "Mariah, how are you sweetheart? Did the packages arrive alright?"
"Hi Danielle," Mariah replied. "Yeah, everything got here OK. I... um... looked through the pictures you sent."
"Oh, good," Danielle said carefully, then threw caution to the wind. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah, I'm..." Mariah started, then fell quiet.
"Mariah?" Danielle prompted gently.
"They brought up some old memories," Mariah admitted. "Old feelings... and new ones."
"I tried to let you know what to expect, in the note," Danielle said. "Was I wrong to send them? I hoped..."
"No, you weren't wrong," Mariah said quickly. "You weren't. Actually, I'm really glad you did. I... I needed to look at them. I... I shared them... with my friends here... and I told them. I told them about dad."
"Oh sweetheart," Danielle said softly. "How did that feel?"
"It was good," Mariah breathed. "It was really good. Danielle... mama... thank you."
"Mama," Danielle whispered. Mariah had never called her that before.
"Anyway," Mariah continued, the mask of brusque confidence falling back into place, "I was thinking... do you still have the research we were doing? On my dad, I mean."
"Yes, I do," Danielle said with a deep breath. "Do you want me to send it to you?"
"Would you?" Mariah said eagerly.
"Of course," Danielle agreed. "I'll send them to you right now."
"Thanks," Mariah said.
"Mariah," Danielle hesitated. "If I asked you to be careful and to stay out trouble, you'd just lie to me won't you?"
Mariah considered for a moment before saying, "Yes."
"Please be careful and stay out of trouble," Danielle said.
"I always stay out of trouble," Mariah lied.
Sitting at her computer, Danielle brought up her notes on the death of Anthony 'Big Tony' Basso, late owner of Basso Shipping and Carting. Mariah's father.
She remembered Tony Basso, vaguely, as a charming, amiable man who she sometimes saw walking along the waterfront. He hadn't been someone she'd known, really. Just someone to exchange polite greetings if they happened to pass. She'd been shocked by his death and later curious about the wall of silence that had fallen around it.
There wasn't much to go on in her notes, but there was enough. Enough to hope, devoutly, that Mariah would be careful. For a moment, Danielle debated keeping some files back, but she knew she couldn't do that. To hold back would be to betray her daughter's trust. 
After everything, Mariah deserved to count on her and on Londyn.
She deserved the truth.
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