pleasure, the ancient slide projector, while Billy slouched comfortably in a cream-colored recliner, Corryn lay on the sofa, and Adrienne sat in a green, high-backed chair that resembled a throne. While they waited for the cruise slide show to begin, Adrienne moved in for the kill. "So what's new with Mark?"
"Nothing. I saw him last night," Billy said.
"Mark," Billy's dad echoed. "Mark... Do I know him?"
Adrienne rolled her eyes. "Get with it, David. Billy's been dating him for over a month now."
David just shrugged. "Doesn't sound familiar."
"Have you found out what he makes yet?"
"No, and I don't plan to," Billy said, thoroughly bored by the question.
"Nobody ever tells me anything," Adrienne said huffily. "At least tell me you called Gladys Belding's son, Kip."
"Um..."
"Belinda. If you don't call him, I'll be humiliated. I promised Gladys you'd call."
And you did that because...?
"Slide show's all set up," David said. "Anytime you're ready, Addy."
The first twenty slides were pictures of David boarding the boat, walking to the cabin, opening the cabin door, and unzipping his suitcase. Obviously Adrienne had been holding the camera. Next she showed slides of all the people she'd met on the cruise, even if only for a minute, and narrated their myriad ailments and dysfunctions.
"See the one with the chubby knees and loud vacation prints?" she said. "That's Louise Moonie. A sweet woman, but no tolerance for dairy. We played pinochle together on day three." She clicked to the next slide. "Oh, now that's Maeve Byrnes. She has a son who sounds very interesting—Corryn, are you paying attention?"
When her sister didn't answer, Billy glanced over and noticed that Corryn's eyes were closed, and her mouth was curved softly and sleepily against the throw pillow.
"Corryn?" Adrienne said again, and Billy discreetly shook her sister's foot.
"Oh, um, what?" Corryn said, her eyes fluttering open.
"I think I found an interesting man for you."
"Oh..." she said, stretching, and slowly sitting up. "Sorry, Mom, but I'm giving up interesting men for Lent this year."
"Don't be smart. I'm serious; Maeve Byrnes has a son around your age who is single and looking."
"Desperate, in other words."
"He's not desperate. In fact, he's tall, dark, and handsome."
"What, according to his mother ?" Corryn said with an incredulous laugh, sending a look around the room that said, Is it just me, or does our mom need an intervention?
"Look, Corryn, I know you're not crazy about setups—"
"No, I love them, really. They're right up there with getting my period in white pants."
"Can we please change the topic?" Billy said, glaring at her mother. "If Corryn doesn't want to be set up, then that's it—end of discussion."
Adrienne heaved a frustrated sigh. "Fine, I'm done trying to care. I'm gonna stay completely out of your life from now on."
"Thank you," Corryn said.
"If you want to end up alone like Aunt Penelope—"
"Addy, please..." David implored, rubbing his temple.
"Mom, can't we all just enjoy the slide show?" Billy asked, realizing that "enjoy" was pushing it, but at least they could avoid controversial topics like Corryn's love life, and the fact that Adrienne's older sister had never married.
In fact, Billy was particularly short on patience when it came to criticism of her favorite aunt. So she had never married, so she was almost sixty and still lived in the house she'd grown up in. Why did Adrienne have to obsess about it? Why did she always have to panic that Corryn and Billy would end up miserable, lonely spinsters just like Aunt Pen—who didn't seem the least bit lonely or miserable?
Aunt Pen had started her own interior design business over twenty years ago, and since then it had flourished into an undeniable success. She could afford to live almost anywhere, yet she chose to stay in the house she'd inherited from her parents, which Billy considered a gesture of pure heart, and just another indication of Pen's warmth
"Nothing. I saw him last night," Billy said.
"Mark," Billy's dad echoed. "Mark... Do I know him?"
Adrienne rolled her eyes. "Get with it, David. Billy's been dating him for over a month now."
David just shrugged. "Doesn't sound familiar."
"Have you found out what he makes yet?"
"No, and I don't plan to," Billy said, thoroughly bored by the question.
"Nobody ever tells me anything," Adrienne said huffily. "At least tell me you called Gladys Belding's son, Kip."
"Um..."
"Belinda. If you don't call him, I'll be humiliated. I promised Gladys you'd call."
And you did that because...?
"Slide show's all set up," David said. "Anytime you're ready, Addy."
The first twenty slides were pictures of David boarding the boat, walking to the cabin, opening the cabin door, and unzipping his suitcase. Obviously Adrienne had been holding the camera. Next she showed slides of all the people she'd met on the cruise, even if only for a minute, and narrated their myriad ailments and dysfunctions.
"See the one with the chubby knees and loud vacation prints?" she said. "That's Louise Moonie. A sweet woman, but no tolerance for dairy. We played pinochle together on day three." She clicked to the next slide. "Oh, now that's Maeve Byrnes. She has a son who sounds very interesting—Corryn, are you paying attention?"
When her sister didn't answer, Billy glanced over and noticed that Corryn's eyes were closed, and her mouth was curved softly and sleepily against the throw pillow.
"Corryn?" Adrienne said again, and Billy discreetly shook her sister's foot.
"Oh, um, what?" Corryn said, her eyes fluttering open.
"I think I found an interesting man for you."
"Oh..." she said, stretching, and slowly sitting up. "Sorry, Mom, but I'm giving up interesting men for Lent this year."
"Don't be smart. I'm serious; Maeve Byrnes has a son around your age who is single and looking."
"Desperate, in other words."
"He's not desperate. In fact, he's tall, dark, and handsome."
"What, according to his mother ?" Corryn said with an incredulous laugh, sending a look around the room that said, Is it just me, or does our mom need an intervention?
"Look, Corryn, I know you're not crazy about setups—"
"No, I love them, really. They're right up there with getting my period in white pants."
"Can we please change the topic?" Billy said, glaring at her mother. "If Corryn doesn't want to be set up, then that's it—end of discussion."
Adrienne heaved a frustrated sigh. "Fine, I'm done trying to care. I'm gonna stay completely out of your life from now on."
"Thank you," Corryn said.
"If you want to end up alone like Aunt Penelope—"
"Addy, please..." David implored, rubbing his temple.
"Mom, can't we all just enjoy the slide show?" Billy asked, realizing that "enjoy" was pushing it, but at least they could avoid controversial topics like Corryn's love life, and the fact that Adrienne's older sister had never married.
In fact, Billy was particularly short on patience when it came to criticism of her favorite aunt. So she had never married, so she was almost sixty and still lived in the house she'd grown up in. Why did Adrienne have to obsess about it? Why did she always have to panic that Corryn and Billy would end up miserable, lonely spinsters just like Aunt Pen—who didn't seem the least bit lonely or miserable?
Aunt Pen had started her own interior design business over twenty years ago, and since then it had flourished into an undeniable success. She could afford to live almost anywhere, yet she chose to stay in the house she'd inherited from her parents, which Billy considered a gesture of pure heart, and just another indication of Pen's warmth
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