“Well, color me confused,” Harriet said, throwing up her hands. “You don’t want to be a professor, you don’t want to go into the convent, you don’t want to live in Ogilvie—” She broke off and turned toward John.

“John won’t be going with me,” Caroline said, before Harriet could ask the question.

“Are we talking about a long-distance marriage?” Connie asked, her color rising along with her voice.

“No,” Caroline said. She turned to her mother as if to ask for help, but Harriet was on her feet.

“So the wedding is off! I knew it. How could you lie to us, Caroline? Now we’ll have to face all those people tomorrow and we’ll never live it down—”

“Now, Harriet, hush.” Miss Junie’s voice, sharp and sure, cut Harriet off as neatly as a chainsaw. “You have to let your sister finish.”

“I don’t think I care to hear any more,” Harriet said with all the defiance she could muster. Then she crossed her arms and sat down again.

Caroline said, “I’m hoping we can turn the wedding into a going-away party, but there’s something else I’ve got to say before we talk about that. And, please, if you love me, don’t interrupt.

“I’ve been pretending for all these years that I’m something that I’m not. I’m not like y’all. I wouldn’t be happy doing what y’all do, career and kids and softball on Friday nights, Junior League, the Jubilee committee. If I try to make myself fit into that mold, I’ll be miserable, and I’ll make John miserable.”

“But John loves you!” Pearl wailed, and burst into noisy tears. Caroline’s own face was bright red and her eyes were swimming, but she was resolute and sure and she didn’t flinch, answering questions that came flying at her with tremendous calm until her mother got the upper hand by raising her voice.

“Girls!” Miss Junie said sharply. “Where are your manners?”

Caroline leaned down and pressed a kiss to her mother’s forehead. Then she straightened and smiled. She said, “I’m very happy to tell y’all that I’ve enrolled in the two-year program at the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, New York, and I’ll be moving up there as soon as I can pack my things. I am going to be a chef.”

When the doorbell rang, Angie went to let John in.

“You look like you just ran a marathon,” she said, and then he pulled her up against him and kissed her, hard and quick, and let her go so suddenly that she nearly lost her balance.

“That’s just about how I feel,” he agreed.

From the kitchen Tony called, “Anybody know where the van keys went?”

John took Angie by the wrist and pulled her toward the door. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go for a walk.”