Family Ties

Harold and the happy couple moved into the living room, along with the other men. The kids followed, but Anne and the rest of the women lingered behind. I stacked the plates nearest me, although Christy nervously tried to take them from me.

“You don’t have to, Paul,” Anne said. “Why don’t you go through with the men?”

“Where should I put them?” I said instead. “In the sink or on the

counter?”

“The counter, please.”

So I helped the women clear the table. Christy seemed mortified at first, but she followed her mother’s lead.

“I hope you don’t mind,” I said to Anne. “I’m not a big fan of tradition when it comes to ‘women’s work’ and ‘men’s work.’ Work is work, especially housework. Besides, I helped make the mess. The least I can do is help clean it up.”

“What a refreshing idea,” she said with a mixture of amusement and sincerity.

We finished clearing the table and left the kitchen for later.

“We’ll be nibbling all evening anyway,” Anne said. “No sense putting away leftovers and then having to get them back out again.”

“Right you are,” I said.

Marianne winked at me. “Birdy said you’re a keeper.”

Birdy herself turned pink.

I followed the women into the living room, where Jim was playing the piano. I wasn’t the least bit surprised. The Carmichaels all seemed to be multitalented. I was surprised when Rich joined him and started singing in a strong, clear tenor.

Marianne gestured to Virginia and Amber to vacate a chair for me. I protested, but she insisted. The girls didn’t seem to mind, since it gave them the opportunity to move closer to Danny and Sabrina.

I took a seat and gestured for Christy to sit on the arm of the chair. I put my arm around her and casually rested it on her thigh. The contact was intimate without being overt. She looked around nervously, but no one was paying attention to us.

Jim and Rich sang “Danny Boy” next, partly to annoy Danny, but also because it was one of their parents’ favorites. Then they chose a happier song and invited Christy to join them. I shouldn’t have been surprised that she was an excellent singer. She and Rich must have performed together quite a bit when they were younger. They weren’t as polished as Donny and Marie Osmond but were still good enough that no one would complain.

Anne and her daughters-in-law eventually rose to do the dishes and clean up the kitchen. I felt guilty for not joining them, but she gave me a look that silently said to stay right where I was.

Christy and Rich finished their last song. After the applause she sat on my

lap instead of the arm of the chair. She’d had enough to drink that she was bolder than usual. Her father didn’t seem to mind, although Rich did. His glare didn’t even scratch my indifference.

The women returned from the kitchen about twenty minutes later, and Marianne caught Harry’s eye. Hal was already asleep in his arms, so he gathered the boy and said something quiet to his father. They left shortly after. Jim and Lynne disappeared for a while to put their own kids to bed, along with Harry and Marianne’s older girls (who were spending the night again).

Harold invited the men to his office for cigars. I declined as politely as I could, although I felt better when Danny did too. Rich, Terry, and Jim accepted, and they all adjourned to the office and slid the doors together.

“Well,” Anne said to the rest of us, “I’ve had a lovely day, but it’s been a long one.”

“Amen to that,” Lynne said with feeling.

“Before you go to bed, Mom,” Danny said, “I was hoping for a new room assignment. You know… now that we’re officially engaged.”

“You aren’t married yet.”

“Mom, come on! We live together, for Pete’s sake.”

“You haven’t taken vows in front of a priest. Sorry, Danny. You know the rules.”

Sabrina put her hand on his. “It’s okay. It’s only a few nights.”

He nodded ungraciously.

“Daniel,” his mother warned.

“Sorry, Mom.” He visibly adjusted his mood. “I know. Rules are rules.”

“Yes, dear. And I’m sorry. I know you live together, but when you’re in our house…”

“I know, I know. I don’t have to like it, but I get it.”

“Good. Now, I’m going to say goodnight.”

“I’m going to bed too,” Lynne said.

The two women left. Christy and I talked to Danny and Sabrina for a while as we finished our drinks. Then we decided to go to bed ourselves.

Danny and I walked them to Christy’s room like we were on a double date.

We even kissed them goodnight at the door.

He grumbled about his mother’s rules all the way out to the screen porch.

Part of me wanted to laugh, but I understood where he was coming from. If I were him, I’d want to celebrate with my fiancée too. He eventually fell silent

but was probably still thinking about it when the door to the house opened. A small figure slipped out to the porch and closed the door.

“Danny?”

He sat up. “Birdy? Is everything okay?”

“Yes, it’s fine. Sabrina and I were talking, and… the rule is you can’t sleep together. No one said anything about spending time alone together.”

“You mean it, Birdy? You don’t mind?”

“No, of course not.”