Stella Wincott is Lily's mother, and rules over her only daughter like a tyrant. Harsh, sharp-tongued, and critical, Stella has always found Lily to be sadly lacking in almost every way.

Stella's relationship with Aaron is fairly simple, if not particularly good -- Aaron avoids the old woman like a plague vector. Her dealings with Sharon are more complex. Sharon, an avowed atheist, has always butted heads with the ruthlessly devout Stella. Their history is one long series of uneasy truces marked by knock-down, drag-out arguments.

Gail is the only one in the Curmen family towards whom Stella ever shows any respect. Though some of the particulars of their beliefs are quite different, Gail is a sufficiently observant Christian to make Stella happy. Gail is also naturally respectful in all the places where her sister tends to be rude, and this also has served to endear Stella to her. For her part, Gail is not happy with the way that Stella treats her mother and her sister, but tries to make peace rather than taking sides in the conflicts.

Stella knows something about Sharon's sudden healing that she has yet to reveal. Though she accepts it as a supernatural occurrence, she will not go so far as to say it is a miracle. What she does believe is something that time will tell...