【正文】
nt touched anything on her tray except a piece of carrot cake, which she holds in her hands. The icing is smeared on her hands and face. I dont want my friends to see her smeared with icing, so I wet a paper towel and wipe her. This fills me with a terrible tenderness, recalling, as it does. a gesture I have performed for my children. As I wipe my mothers face, I see that her skin is still beautiful I hold her chin in my hand and kiss her forehead. I tell her its her birthday, that shes ninety years old. How did that happen? she asks. I cant understand how that could happen. l have brought her a bouquet of crimson, yellow, and salmonpink snapdragons. She likes the flowers very much. She likes the name. Snapdragons. It seems