Lauren glanced back and bugged her eyes out at Andrew, and with a grin on his face, he mouthed, I’m sorry.

“I could use another hand in the kitchen. We’re kind of short on time. Just started getting the meal together twenty minutes ago, you know. No time for a turkey but I’m making a ham, is that okay with you?”

She opened her mouth to reply, but his mom kept going.

“Can you peel a potato, honey? That’s what I really need right now. I’m working on the pies…”

Lauren’s eyes darted around the living room as they passed through. Two men sat on the couch, the older one she assumed to be Andrew’s dad. The other had a baby on his lap, his eyes glued to the football game on the television. Andrew’s dad looked at Lauren with open curiosity, but his mother kept walking at a brisk pace, and soon Lauren found herself in the kitchen.

This was where all the commotion had stemmed from. Rhonda held a wide-legged stance in front of the sink doing dishes, and Valerie stirred something in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon, the large white dog sitting tall nearby with his tail wagging. Jeni sat perched at the island with the little blond girl from earlier—Andrew had called her Alva?—and they were snapping the ends from long string beans.

All of the women spoke over each other, and Lauren had a hard time deciphering if it was one conversation or many.

“Hi Lauren! We’re so glad you could come,” Valerie said brightly.

Rhonda did a kind of head nod.

Jeni smiled widely in that way where all her teeth showed and the tendons in her neck bulged, like she was asking, “Are you freaked out yet?”

“Mom,” Andrew’s voice came from behind her. He must have followed them in. “Set her up over here at the table, okay?” He pulled out two chairs and sat down at the kitchen table, which was set slightly apart from the kitchen. He waved Lauren over and gestured to the empty seat.

She went gladly.

“I thought you might want a second to process.” He shot her a knowing smirk. “It won’t be quiet no matter where we go, but at least you’ll have a little space over here.”

Andrew’s mom dropped a huge sack of potatoes onto the table, along with a large empty bowl and two vegetable peelers. She swiveled around to grab the trash can and set it between Andrew and Lauren’s feet before returning to the flurry of activity in the kitchen.

Andrew reached for a potato with one hand and a peeler with the other, raising an eyebrow at her. “You haven’t said a word since you got here.”