A white vehicle pulled off the main road and crunched its way up my gravel driveway.

At ten o’clock on the dot, Vanessa got out of the driver’s seat.

She leaned into the back seat and fought to drag out an enormous wicker basket.

The whole thing was wrapped in clear cellophane.

A wide gold ribbon cinched the stiff plastic together at the top.

She hauled it up the wooden steps with both hands, her knuckles going white under the weight.

She had on a pale yellow sundress that looked crisp and brand-new.