This narrative text addresses a young girl’s experience with processing the death of her mother while trying to accept the challenges of a change in family dynamics. At first, Laura does not like her stepmother, Jane, and perceives her as if she were trying to replace her mother. Laura honors her mother’s existence through the use of a memory string, which includes buttons from significant life events. When the buttons are lost on the memory string Laura learns to appreciate Jane when she sees what her true intentions are by helping to search for the lost beads.