She scanned the room, and found Samantha, and immediately threw her arms wide.

“My beautiful girl!” she called out, her voice pitched to carry across the entire room.

“I have dreamed of this day for so long!

You have no idea how much I have longed to see you like this!”

Samantha offered her a small smile, and I knew that smile, because I had raised the woman who wore it.

It was polite.

It was controlled.