"Thank you again for inviting us, Mrs. Madison. You are a wonderful cook," Alexander blurted.
"We have plenty more pasta," my mother encouraged.
"I'm stuffed," Mr. Sterling said.
"Yes, me, too," Mrs. Sterling agreed.
"Would you like a cigar?" my dad asked Mr. Sterling.
I hated when my dad smoked cigars-though he rarely did. It smelled good for about five seconds until I began wearing it on my clothes and hair. My mother despised it as much as I did, which is odd since they spent most of their college years smoking things with all sorts of bad smells. I shooed them out to the patio as my mom and Mrs. Sterling disappeared into the kitchen.
"They seem to be hitting it off," I said to Alexander.
"This really was nice for them; they needed to get out. I think they were feeling isolated in the Mansion. Maybe if they made more friends they wouldn't want to..." Alexander trailed off.
"What?"
We heard a dish break in the kitchen.
"I am so sorry" my mom said,
"No- it was me," Mrs. Sterling said as we joined them in the kitchen. A china plate was broken on the floor. "We were talking aboutRomania and I just asked Sarah if she believed in vampires."
"I think it's time that we were going, Mom," Alexander said.
"What's all the commotion?" my dad asked as he came in.
"Nothing.A dish just slipped through my fingers," my mom explained, discarding the broken Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter,dinnerware into the trash.
"I'd like to pay for that," Mrs. Sterling offered.
"Yes, we'll buy you a new set," Mr. Sterling said. "We insist."
"Please, it's no trouble," my mom stated with a laugh.
"It gives me an excuse to go shopping."
"I had a wonderful time, Sarah," Mrs. Sterling said. "I hope we can see each other again."
"You don't have to leave yet." My mom's voice was sad, as if she was not ready for her party to end.
"Constantine, we must be going," Alexander's mother said. "We've kept theMadisons up far too long"
"We stay up late, too," my mom tried to assure her.
They stay up until at least six,I wanted to say.
"We'll have to get together again. Next time at our | home," Mrs. Sterling stated.
My parents were thrilled.
"Then it's a date. This Saturday we'll have a cocktail party. Just the four of us" said Mrs. Sterling.
"You aren't inviting us?" Alexander asked. "I think we should be there, too."
"For cocktails? "Mrs. Sterling wondered.
"And Cokes," Alexander suggested.