Lily slowly reached down, took the silver bag by its shiny blue ribbon handles, and got up from her chair.

She looked down at the gold foil paper stuffed into the top of the silver bag.

“What’s inside?” Lily asked.

“A genuine leather purse,” Vanessa said, raising her chin.

“Imported straight from Italy.

Something a proper young lady should carry instead of those ratty denim bags your father picks up at the hardware store.”

Lily lifted the heavy white box out of the bag, holding it carefully in both hands like a piece of salvaged firewood.

She peeled off the tape and let the gold paper fall to the rug.