“Yes. Come meet them. And since you’re here, why don’t you have dinner with us? The whole wedding party’s going out.”

“We’d like that very much. If Frank can put up with it.”

“Don’t be silly,” I said, even though I saw the sick look on Frank’s face.

The introductions were made. When we left the church, Frank saw to it that no one rode in the car with us on the way to the restaurant.

“Why! Why did you have to do that?” His voice was quivering with rage and his eyes were tearing. I was frightened.

“Can’t you bury the hatchet for one evening?” I said timidly.

“Bury the hatchet? You think it’s that simple? This isn’t like one of those arguments you have with your father, where you make up the next day and everything’s forgotten. You don’t seem to understand that I hate her. I’ve always hated her; I’ll never stop hating her; I don’t want her around me! Is that clear?”

“How can you hate her so much? You never even mentioned her to me.”

He swallowed hard and tightened his lips. We drove on for a few more blocks before he spoke again. “Irene, I hate her as much as I love you. Maybe you can’t understand that, but please try to accept it. All my life I’ve watched her butt into other people’s lives and twist them to her advantage. She started with my—my mother, and then the rest of us. Doris and Marian ran away because of her and so did I.”

“But what did she do?”

“It’s not what she did; it’s what she is. She controls everything around her. Just watch Leo for two minutes.”

“Does she have any children?”

“No.”

“Maybe that’s the reason she wants to hang on to the rest of you. Frank, it’s just for tonight. She wants a share of her baby brother’s happiness, that’s all. How old is she, anyway?”

“Forty-two.”

“That’s sixteen years’ difference. It’s only natural she wants to mother you a bit—”

“After tonight, that’s it. She stays away permanently.”

“Whatever you say. Now how about a kiss?” I nestled up to him.

“Please, Irene, I’m trying to drive.”

We were the last ones to arrive at the restaurant. The waiters had pushed three tables together to make one long one; at the head of it were two empty chairs waiting for us. I sat directly at the head, with Frank on my right, Vivian on my left. Vivian was on her second martini. Leo was nursing a club soda.

“It was nice of you to ask us,” said Vivian. “We hadn’t expected it.”

Frank glared at her, then ordered a double Scotch. Although there were conversations all along the table, I had a feeling everyone was keeping an ear turned to Frank, Vivian and me.

“You have a nice family,” said Vivian. “There’s just you and the two boys?”

“Yes, Neil and Barry.”

“What do your father and mother do?”