6
What follows is a nearly deafening silence, except for the sound of Bella’s snorting as she noses around under the table. None of us appear to be breathing, let alone speaking. I steal a glance at Gabe, who’s staring right at Nick, his expression blank, but from the infinitesimal, telltale wrinkle of his brow it’s clear that the news has stunned him.
Though I manage to pick my stomach up off the ground, it quickly starts to roil. My adorable, charming brother-in-law, the kid brother I never had, is planning to marry a woman he’s known for only two months. And who might be a thief, and possibly a sociopath. Which means my life with my in-laws—every future family dinner at Gabe’s parents’ apartment, every group weekend out here, every family vacation—is about to be irrevocably altered by her presence.
Nick has remained on his feet, and he’s looking uncharacteristically flustered now, as if he has no idea why he’s left a patio full of people dumbfounded. Hannah appearsflustered, too. Her triumphant smile has begun to contract, like ice before it starts to crack.
“Gosh,” he says. “I think this might be the only time in my life that the Keatons have been at a loss for words. I’m sure it’s in part because Hannah and I only met two months ago. But in that short period, we’ve spent every possible moment together, and we know what we’ve got is very special.”
Someone clears his throat. I watch as Ash reaches for his wineglass and slowly raises it.
“Itisa bit of a shock, Nick, but we love you, and of course we’re very pleased for both of you,” he says. “We wish you great happiness and look forward to getting to know Hannah better over the coming months—andyears.”
“Hear, hear,” Gabe says once more tonight, though this time there’s a catch in his voice. He awkwardly raises his own glass in salute, and I notice Blake and Wendy do the same, both of them smiling politely. Obviously, they’re still in the afterglow of their baby announcement.
“Thank you so much everyone,” Hannah says. “I couldn’t love Nick more, and I’m thrilled to be joining this amazing family.”
There are a few more “Hear hears,” and I notice Keira raise her own glass. I’m unable to see either Marcus or Claire, though as far as I know, they’re following suit. But I can’t bring myself to fake it. Instead I lean down toward Henry, as if I’m answering another question of his.
“So you know what this means, right?” I whisper to him.
“Uncle Nick’s getting married?”
“Yup.”
“Oh. Wow.”
“Yeah, wow.”
To keep from having to look up, I go out of my way to help Henry, using a fork to slide chicken and veggies off the second kabob stick on his plate. I hear Blake ask Nick and Hannah if they’ve set a date yet.
“Not yet,” Nick replies. Thank god for small favors. “We need to determine what Hannah’s shooting schedule will be once the show is picked up. And we still need to go ring shopping.”
“Are you from this part of the country, Hannah?” Ash asks.
“No, Miami, actually,” she replies. “Sadly, my parents both passed away, but I have a wonderful sister, and I’m looking forward to introducing Nick to her.”
“Well, we look forward to meeting her, as well,” Ash says.
“You all set with food?” I murmur to Henry, still awarding him my full attention.
“Yeah.” He wrinkles his little brow, looking like Gabe as he does it, and stares down the length of the table. Then he presses his mouth so tightly against my ear that it tickles. “Can I ask you another question?”
“Of course.”Please, I think,give me something else to do. Tell me you’re tired and you want me to take you up to bed and read you a story.I don’t want to be here for one more second.
“Does Gee wish Uncle Nick wasn’t doing it?”
“Why—?” But instead of finishing, I lift my head and follow his gaze to the other end of the table, where my mother-in-law is now in my line of sight, standing and holding up the bowl of potato salad.
“Who’d like more?” she asks. “Anyone?”
She’s smiling, but I can tell, just as Henry obviously can, that she’s pasted it on, using only the muscles around her mouth and not her eyes. She’s not happy about this turn in events, not in the least, despite whatever bonding she did with Hannah during their ladies’ garden tour.
I look toward Gabe next, and finally we lock eyes. Part of me expects an expression that says,You were right, we’ve got major trouble here. But all he does is smile wanly.
The potato salad bowl ends up being passed down the table, with no one taking seconds, and the conversation shifts awkwardly to how delicious the meal is.
Then, miraculously, from off in the distance, there’s a muted rumble of thunder, and seconds later a couple of fat drops of rain plop onto the table. A mad scramble ensues as we all grab plates, bowls, and utensils, and Bonnie and her helper rush out to assist us. In theater it’s calleddeus ex machina, or “god from the machine,” a plot device once frequently used by ancient Greek and Roman playwrights whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an unexpected and seemingly unlikely occurrence. No respectable modern play relies on one, but right now all I can do is be grateful.
