Chapter 7: The Dinner Question

On Thursday, Daniel tapped his water glass with a spoon at the exact moment the soup plates were cleared.

The Silver family dinner table had sat twelve for sixty years.

Tonight it sat five, with Johnny on Daniel's left.

Johnny put down his fork and stared at the spoon.

"Under house procedure," Daniel said, "any change to the household is announced at dinner."

"It is," his grandmother agreed. She had her wine glass raised and looked delighted.

"Daniel," Johnny said, low. "Don't."

"Item one. I would like it noted that I took my pills on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Today's is a pea pod."

His mother put down her napkin. She had tears in her eyes.

"We noticed," she said. "Thank you, darling."

"Item two." Daniel folded his hands on the tablecloth. "Johnny and I have been married for three days."

"Four," said his father.

"Four. And in that time we have done everything that married couples do."

Johnny made a strangled noise.

"Except for one."

The room went entirely silent.

A fork rang on a plate.

"I would like to ask the family," Daniel said, in the calm clear voice he used for board meetings, "whether we may do that one tonight."

For one long moment, nobody moved.

Then his mother's shoulders began to shake.

She put both hands over her mouth, tried, failed, and burst into helpless laughter.

His father followed, with his face in his napkin.

His grandmother laughed once, a dry bark, and said, "About time."

Daniel looked from face to face.

"Is that a yes?" he asked.

"It's a yes, darling," his mother wheezed. "It's absolutely a yes."

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