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This conversation is ruining my appetite, which is unacceptable. I haven’t had my crème brûlée yet. “Guys, she could be the greatest thing since indoor plumbing and it still wouldn’t matter. She’s not going to go for a marriage of convenience. Besides, if she’s so great, why hasn’t Mom mentioned her to me?”

“Mentioned what?” Mom startles us as she takes a seat at our table, plopping her purse on the floor next to her.

“We were just telling Madden about how Odette Hastings has really grown up,” David replies.

Mom snorts. “She’s not worth your time, Madden. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Mrs. Hastings, but their family has no money and no connections.”

“Why does that matter? At this point, if you don’t approve, I might actually like her.” Me and my brothers snicker. We’ve all been on the receiving end of Mom’s unsuccessful setups.

Mom leans in to make sure no one will overhear. “Well, I’m just trying to help. You need to announce your campaign in a few months, and you’re not making any headway on finding a wife who will advance your career. If you’d just let me–”

“Mom, let me figure this out on my own. The last thing I need is you marrying me off to some debutante.” I shake my head in frustration.

“Fine. You let your father help, but you won’t give me an inch. Alright. I won’t bring it up again.” She pouts.

“Mom, can’t you at least give him Odette’s number? What harm could it do?” David asks.

She sets her shoulders back and smiles smugly. “No need. We invited the Hastings to Thanksgiving next week. And when you see that Odette is no different from the other girls your father threw at you, you’ll wish you’d had my help.”

Windell family group chat:

Sophie: Happy Thanksgiving, family! I wish Sam and I could be there! We miss you all!

Madden: Miss you, Soph! Happy Turkey Day! *GIF of dancing turkey*

Sophie: BTW How’s the wife hunt going?

Madden: Brooks, is it impossible for you to keep your mouth shut?

Madden: Also, it’s excruciating. I’ve been on so many miserable dates.

Brooks: Don’t worry, bro. Odette will knock your socks off today.

David: Let’s hope so. I’m worried we’ll need to cancel this entire campaign.

Dad: He’s too picky. *eye roll emoji*

Mom: He won’t let me set him up with the best girls in the Midwest, so I can’t imagine what he’d see in the Hastings girl.

Sophie: You guys! I’m missing all the fun!

Sophie: Madden, I thought Odette was always such a sweetheart! You be nice to her!

Madden: You are all dead to me.

Walking into the kitchen at my Mom and Dad’s house, I hear the muffled sounds of my parents bickering. My shoulders tense and I cringe. Their arguments are the soundtrack of my childhood, though holidays were usually the exception. Being a highly sought-after surgeon, Dad worked most holidays. I’m surprised that he is off today.

Mom is so busy pounding bread dough angrily into the counter that she doesn’t hear me enter. I clear my throat and they both look up at me.

“Hey. Happy Thanksgiving,” I mutter awkwardly, putting my hands in my pockets. “Anything I can help with?”

“You can mash those potatoes over there.” Mom motions to the large pot on the gas stove. She looks like an innocent little Donna Reed today in her floral dress, pearls, and apron. But I know there’s a demanding woman with high expectations underneath that facade.

Dad straightens from a crouch by the oven–checking the turkey temperature, I assume–and I see that he’s wearing an apron with bold, black letters that say, “Trust me. I’m a doctor.” He gives me an annoyed look. “I should warn you that Mom invited Heidi and her family at the last second.”

My shoulders slump. I remember my date with Heidi. She talked about her purse-sized Pomeranian and her Dad’s business the entire time. “Aren’t we already having the Hastings over and a few others? Will there be enough room for everyone?”

David and Brooks walk into the kitchen to join us. They look at me with shifty eyes, perhaps sensing the tension, and ask Mom if she needs help with food prep. My sister Sophie was always the one who helped Mom in the kitchen, but since she moved away a few years ago, my brothers and I have stepped up.