thought was that more food in the house was the last thing that they needed, and when was she going to put these out for people when there were already so many desserts?
But of course she just smiled and said, “Thank you.”
The two of them stood there and smiled at each other, as though they both thought it would convey how thrilled they were to share Thanksgiving. Max was on the ground with Ruby, letting the dog lick his face, bending his head down so she could smell his hair and press her head against his. Ruby wagged her tail more for Max than for anyone, and she was always a little depressed when he left.
“Do you two want something to eat?” Weezy asked. “Max, I got some cold cuts for you. I could make you a sandwich or maybe you want something else? We’re having spaghetti and meatballs at Maureen’s tonight, so you probably don’t want pasta.”
“We’re okay for now,” Max said. “Actually, we’re going to throw our stuff down and head over to John’s to see him and meet up with some people. I think we’ll stop at Gino’s for a cheese steak.”
“Not Pat’s?”
“We went there last time. Cleo has to try both so she knows which one she likes better.” Max gave the back of her neck a squeeze, and she scrunched up her shoulders and laughed.
And then they were gone. They dropped their bags in the rooms and were out the door a few minutes later. “Be sure to be back by four, because Bets will be here and then we’ll head over to Maureen’s.” Max gave her a kiss and they left. She noticed that Cleo looked relieved to be leaving, even though she’d just gotten there.
MAUREEN BURNED THE BREAD. She basically had just one thing to do for the dinner, which was to cook the garlic bread, and it was black when they got there. Smoke filled the kitchen. “I didn’t want to forget it, so I just popped it in,” Maureen said, as if that explained it.
Will was sent out to get more. “Just get some frozen stuff,” Weezy instructed. There was no telling what he’d come back with, but it was a risk they’d have to take. Bets was already sniffing and coughing in the kitchen over the smoke, and Maureen was in the corner sipping a glass of wine.
Weezy turned the fan on and cracked the window in the kitchen, then set to work warming up the meatballs, and instructed Maureen to empty the bags of prewashed salad that she’d gotten that day and to toss them with Italian dressing. She sat Bets down and got her a glass of wine. All of the kids were already in the next room, laughing about something.
“Maureen was never much of a cook,” Bets said.
“Thanks so much, Mom,” Maureen said.
Parents would probably be arrested these days if they talked the way their parents had. Sometimes she still heard her dad’s voice: “Louise is the brains,” he’d say to strangers, “and Maureen’s the looker.”
Will came back with the bread and asked Bets how things were going in the retirement village. “I call it Death Valley,” she told him, “because every other day, there’s a body taken out of there on a stretcher.”
“Bets, you’re a funny one,” he said. He laughed and put his hand on his stomach, and Weezy was amazed, as she always was, that her husband was good-natured enough not just to put up with Bets but to actually seem to enjoy her company.
They finished getting the dinner ready—after sending Will out one more time to get meatless sauce for Ruth, which they’d forgotten—and everyone sat down to eat. The kids were chattering, all happy to see each other, and that made Weezy so happy. When she had Claire, everyone had told her, “Those girls are sure to be best friends,” but they weren’t. And then, when she’d had Max, she was worried that he’d be raised as an only child, not close to his sisters at all, but right from the get-go, he and Claire had been thick as thieves and still were.
She was always happy that Martha and Cathy were so close. It wasn’t the same as a sibling, but at least it was a family member that was a friend. It was Cathy’s poor brother, Drew, really, that was always the odd man out when he was around. Although most of the time, he didn’t even seem to mind.
Will poured