Thankfully Mom appeared before Olivia could shake me or fall into a seizure fit or whatever it was she seemed about to do in the face of such pressure. I wondered again, as I had in February when I noted the weariness in her, just how long our tourism-hungry mayor could keep up the kind of pace that seemed to be leading her down the path to a heart attack or an aneurysm or a public breakdown of massive proportions.
I didn't have to handle it alone at least, my mother's firm hands and capable manner diffusing Olivia as she grasped the mayor's shoulder and squeezed kindly, beaming a smile.
"What an excellent opportunity for Reading!" Dear god, did Mom just spew one of Olivia's taglines? The mayor stilled, smiled a little, as my mother guided her into the sitting room and plunked her firmly
