Cleo, how many times must I tell you?” Nefera said in a weary voice. “The golden wall hangings clash with the silver in the centerpieces. How horrified will Mother be if we have clashing accessories at her welcome-home ball?!”

Cleo didn’t waste her breath telling Nefera that their mother probably wouldn’t care one little bit if the accessories at the party clashed. After the laid-back evening she and her mom had spent together the previous night—and the long talk they’d had about her mom’s new look and new outlook on life—Cleo had a suspicion their mother probably wouldn’t even notice the décor at the ball. Even still, she and her sister had been arguing over the final details for the welcome-home party all afternoon.

Everything was coming together beautifully, and nearly all plans were in place, but Cleo felt as if there was still something off about the gala they were planning. She decided to share her concerns with her sister, with the hope that they could work through the problem together. “Nefera,” Cleo said, pushing aside the centerpiece sample and images of wall-hanging options. “I’ve been a little worried about surprising Mom with this party. Do you think we should tell her about the ball?”

Nefera gave her sister an irritated look. “This is a welcome-home gala that is meant to be a surprise,” she said. “If we tell Mother we’re planning a party in her honor, she will absolutely insist on being a part of the preparations. And it’s not fair to the guest of honor to expect her to help plan her own welcome-home celebration.”

“I’m not sure that’s true,” Cleo said.

“Seriously, Cleo?” Nefera said. “How tacky to suggest that someone be involved in planning their own celebration. It’s simply not done.”

“Not that,” Cleo said. “I mean, I’m not sure it’s true that Mother will insist on being a part of the planning. In case you haven’t noticed, Mother doesn’t really seem like the type to concern herself with the details of a royal ball anymore.”

Nefera waved her hand in the air. “Nonsense.”

“Think about it,” Cleo urged. “Do you really think our mom is the kind of monster who will enjoy this kind of attention now? She has changed a lot since we lived together in Egypt. Perhaps something a little more low-key would be better?”

Cleo wasn’t sure what she meant by low-key, exactly—de Niles didn’t really do low-key—but she figured it was worth having a conversation about.

“Cleo, darling,” Nefera said in a patronizing voice, “once a de Nile, always a de Nile. Mother will love it. This ball is just the thing to help her remember the best parts of our family and get herself back into our way of life.” Nefera stood up and made her way to the door of the ballroom. “I’m going to work with Father on the rest of the details for this weekend. You don’t seem to have your head in the right place for this.”

Cleo watched her go. She wondered if Nefera was right. Just because her mother was no longer glamorous on the outside, did that mean her taste in parties had changed as well? Cleo wasn’t sure, but she had this feeling that an elegant ball was a terrible idea. Surely it was important that they try to make their mother’s welcome-home celebration an event that actually made her feel welcome. If they carried on with their original plan to hold an evening of luxury and glamour in full de Nile style, it might make their mother feel as if she didn’t belong to the family anymore.

As she headed out of the ballroom, Cleo wondered if the best way to make her mother feel welcome was not with a showy ball—but by taking the time to get to know her all over again, as the person she was today. She found her mother reading in the study and plunked down in the chair beside her.

“Hi,” Cleo said. “What are you reading?”

Her mother looked up with a smile, then pushed her glasses up on top of her head. “An article about a dig in northern Egypt. It’s very interesting.”

“Could I read it when you’re done?” Cleo asked. “I’d love to know more about what it’s like on an archaeological dig.”

Cleo’s mother nodded and smiled. “Of course. I would very much like to share this part of my life with you.”

“Mom,” Cleo said, tucking her legs up under herself to get comfortable. “Want to fang out again tonight? Catch up on stuff? You can tell me more about the dig; I can tell you stories about Monster High?”

“I’d love that,” her mother exclaimed.

Cleo beamed. “Should I make reservations at Appleboos?” She brightened. “Or we could go shopping? The Maul is absolutely golden—we could look for a few new things for both of us?”

Her mother reached out and squeezed Cleo’s hand. “If that’s what you want to do, I’d be happy to do that with you. But to be honest, I would rather just spend the evening here at home, simply enjoying each other’s company.”

“Don’t you miss eating out? Or shopping? Even for the kind of stuff you like now?” Cleo asked, honestly curious. If she had been trapped in a tomb for years, Cleo was certain she’d be eager to eat out at a restaurant or buy some new clothes.

“Not really,” her mother said, shrugging. “What I missed most when I was gone was the three of you. Nothing would make me happier than spending the evening with you learning about your ghoulfriends and your activities at Monster High.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “And are there any boys I should know about? You avoided that question the other night.”

Cleo laughed. She had a feeling her mother was going to love laid-back Deuce. “Oh my Ra, there’s so much for us to get caught up on.” Then Cleo settled in for a long chat, thrilled that she had the opportunity to get to know her mother all over again.