Chapter 18: Sunday Dinner

Janie's POV

The Sorenson farmhouse had one long table, and on Sunday every chair at it was taken.

There were two uncles, an aunt, three cousins and a great-uncle who was introduced as "the one who can't hear."

Zach's mother stood at the head of the table with a ladle.

"Before anyone eats," she said, "everybody turn your left ear."

Nine people turned their heads at once.

Nine left ears had the same small fold at the top.

"Look at that," Zach's mother said. "Look at the family."

"Ma," Zach said.

"I'm making a point."

She walked down the table and put a hand on each ear in turn.

Then she stopped beside Lyle.

"Turn," she said.

Lyle turned.

His ear was smooth.

"I'm the control," he said.

"You're the man who delivered him," she said. "That's better than an ear."

She came around the table to my chair and lifted Gus out of my arms.

She laid him against her shoulder and showed the whole room his left ear.

A cousin applauded.

The great-uncle said, "What did she say?" and his neighbor said, "Ear," and he nodded and said, "That's it."

I laughed until my rib asked me to stop.

"Left side," Lyle and Zach said together.

Zach's mother served the pot roast, and I ate more than I had since the hospital.

Then she brought out a pie and set it in front of me.

She cut a slice and did not give it to me.

"Janie," she said. "I'm going to ask you something, and you can say whatever you like."

Keep reading free with an account. Start He Got Engaged During My Labor, So I Chose His Rival from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.