a second cousin named Dennis?”
“You met him.”
Mavis looked offended.
“You met him.”
“When?”
“Your grandmother’s seventieth birthday.”
Ryan stared at her.
“I was eight.”
“And his wife needs to come, obviously.”
“Exactly. So you know him.”
“Mum.”
“And his wife needs to come, obviously. They have two adult daughters, so they’ll need invitations too.”
“No.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“That’s more than either of us gave ourselves individually.”
“No more additions.”
“Now, Ryan…”
“We already gave you twenty-two spots. That’s more than either of us gave ourselves individually.”
Mavis looked at me.
Not at Ryan.
Me.
My parents died when I was in college.
“You don’t have much family, though, do you?”
The room went quiet.
My parents died when I was in college.
Mavis knew that.
Frank looked up from his coffee.
“You knew exactly what you meant.”
“Mavis.”
She lifted both hands.
