One Mystery Solved

“I think your mom is wearing my puffy vest in a Facebook post,” one of my daughter’s best friends said to her. This was more than a week ago.

About once a quarter, someone (usually one of our children or one of their plus-ones) leaves something at the house. Jackets, hats, and gloves make up most of the lost and found. We send out a picture of the item on the family group chat, and usually someone claims it. If it’s cute, several daughters will try to claim it.

Occasionally, nobody claims it and I widen the search to friends who’ve been at the house or contractors who’ve done work recently. The puffy vest was adorable, so I was sure we’d find whoever was missing it in short order. But it languished in our mudroom for several weeks. The brand made me think it must have been one of my well-heeled friends, but none of them recognized it.

So one day when we were leaving the house and it was exactly the right temp for a puffy vest, I put it on. It fit like heaven. I immediately loved it. I moved it from the mudroom to my closet and put it into my coat rotation. If you live in the Midwest, you understand that you have to have the full complement of outerwear: light jackets, heavy light jackets, light heavy jackets, and heavy heavy jackets. Sometimes you wear two different jackets in one day. It’s a whole thing.

Last night my daughter’s best friend was at our house. She didn’t bring it up, but my daughter remembered all at once: “Hey, you know that puffy vest that got left here? It’s Kate’s.”

I looked at Kate. She gave a small smile, almost embarrassed.

“She saw you in it on Facebook,” said my daughter, laughing. “ A week ago.”

Was I embarrassed? No. Was my daughter embarrassed? Maybe. Was Kate embarrassed? Definitely.

I looked into Kate’s eyes and said, “THAT is a great puffy vest. I have loved wearing it. Shame on you for letting it fall into my clutches. You can have it back if you promise me one thing:”

“Okay”

“You promise to only ever lose it again at my house.”

“Deal.”