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Steven
answered.
    "This get-together was just for us,
Marie—Mom and her children," Jan said coldly.
    Dave and Amy suddenly felt more
uncomfortable.
    Marie looked at Steven all puzzled.
"Oh? Steven didn't mention that to me."
    Steven looked as foolish as he felt.
"I didn't because it doesn't matter. What matters is that all of us
are here together for the first time in almost a year. We don't
know how much time any of us has left, so what's important is the
here and now, and for us to make the best of it."
    Jan immediately crossed her legs,
picked up the remote control and switched on the
television.
     
    "Vera, can I help you with something?"
Marie offered as her sister started to take the food over to the
dinner table.
    "You can grab the macaroni pan if you
like," Vera said.
    Marie quickly got up to assist while
Dave attempted to make conversation with the others. Steven
willingly engaged to lighten the mood.
     
    While in the kitchen, Marie glanced
over at Amy a few times, hoping to see her mother or Jan
interacting with her. Marie knew they never liked Amy simply
because she was her daughter and it killed Marie inside.
Occasionally, Dave or Steven would address Amy so that she wouldn't
feel left out. Sylvia was still quietly knitting and Jan's eyes
were glued to the television screen.
    "Congratulations on your book," Vera
said softly as she and Marie prepared the table.
    "Thanks. It's nothing, really," Marie
replied.
    "That's not what we heard. Practically
everyone in Bringham's talking about your debut best-seller. For
goodness' sakes, it's been all over the TV and radio. Your
accomplishment is no small feat."
    Marie wasn't sure how to
respond.
    Vera paused what she was doing and
looked Marie straight in the eyes. "Well, I'm gonna be completely
honest with you, Marie. You don't have that many fans here—not in
this family. To us, you're still the same Marie you were before you
got lucky."
    "I didn’t come here expecting any
special treatment, Vera," Marie indicated.
    "Good—because you're not getting any."
She unstrapped her apron and turned to the others. "Dinner's
ready!"
     
    Over dinner, Dave and Steven dominated
the conversation that was otherwise non-existent. The women ate
quietly as the tension between them thickened to the point that
Marie felt she could literally cut it with a knife.
    "Amy will be graduating high school
next year," Dave said.
    Marie smiled at Amy.
    "Are you still making the honor roll
like you used to?" Steven asked.
    "Yes, sir," Amy affirmed, fiddling
with her food.
    Steven looked at his mother who didn't
seem the slightest bit interested. "Isn't that great, Mom?" he
posed.
    Sylvia turned to Amy. "Well, that's
very nice, Amy. You've certainly turned out to be a lovely, young
lady considering the circumstances."
    Marie and Dave glanced at each other
and each tried to hold their tongue.
    "Mom…" Steven was unimpressed by his
mother's choice of words and her vague implication.
    "I'm just saying that she's come a far
way; that's all," Sylvia added.
    "A far way from what, Mom?" Marie
found it impossible to overlook that remark.
    "Can you pass the salad please?" Jan
asked her. "Look, Mom just paid Amy a compliment. Let's just leave
it at that. Shall we?"
    Amy was still fiddling her food; she
had barely eaten. Marie could see that she really didn't want to be
there. Steven glanced at Jan, then at his mother who both seemed
unmoved by the tension within the room.
    "So Dave, are you still doing
construction work?" Vera asked.
    "Um… yes, I do," Dave replied. "I
bought the company I used to work for. Are you still
teaching?"
    "As a matter of fact, I am." She took
a bite out of a bun.
    Steven looked on, wondering where this
conversation would lead them. It was no secret that Vera disliked
Dave. In fact, pretty much all of them did except for Steven and
Ted.
    Sylvia dropped her fork and wiped her
lips with a napkin.
    "Enough of this!" She was glaring at
Marie who was seated at the opposite end of the