Page 252 of What We Become

“Yes, you do.” Her gaze travels along our table. “Today I gained a daughter and four sons. I’m delighted with all of you, although I would appreciate being consulted before anyone adds further to the numbers. Christmas is becoming expensive.”

Sage laughs into her glass.

“To my children,” Gloria says.

She looks straight at me when she says it.

I lift my bourbon and decline to think about Christmas at Gloria’s.

The dads stand before she’s finished sitting down.

“We thought we should offer some marriage advice,” Dennis says, lifting his champagne glass in our direction.

Gene leans in. “We agreed on a simple toast.”

“It can be both.”

Ray sets his mouth in a tight smile and just stands there.

“First,” Dennis says, “always listen to your wife.”

The yard starts laughing. Beside me, Milo leans forward, delighted.

“Second, always listen to your wife.”

The yard laughs harder.

“This was listening?” Gloria looks pointedly at Dennis’s Hawaiian shirt.

“What? The other shirt had a stain,” he tells her.

She just raises her brow in response.

“The trick,” he stage-whispers behind his hand, “is to always let her think she’s in charge.”

Dennis jolts.

“Fuck!”

Champagne flies over his shoulder, directly into Gene’s face.

Gene splutters. Sage makes a noise like she’s swallowed a squeaky toy. Milo folds forward, wheezing.

Dennis claps a hand over the collar beneath his turtleneck.

Gloria takes a delicate sip of her champagne.

“What were you saying, dear?” she asks.

Gene dries his face with a napkin and looks at Ray, who quickly jumps in. “What Dennis is trying to say is that we’re very happy for you.”

Dennis twitches again, an aftershock perhaps.

“To the six of you,” Gene announces. “May you always have each other.”

We drink to that and try not to notice the way Gloria dangles a little black remote at Dennis as he sits back down.

Odin rises next, buttoning his jacket with one hand.