But the big present was still to come. She was going to meet it (him!) right after she and her mom left us at 8 p.m. That would be her new brother, age 11, arriving with his dad on a plane from Benin, West Africa via Istanbul.
A year and two days ago, Suzanne and Appolinaire were a family of two. Now ... they're a family of four. We're all rejoicing for them.