My guests, including John, were tucking in and praising the food I had been cooking all day. “The food’s great, right? Everyone’s enjoying it?” John asked the table. His uncle chuckled and took another helping of roasted potatoes. “Why wouldn’t we enjoy my sister’s food?” my brother said. “Because Liz said that the dinner might be ruined by Mom’s dishes. She wanted us to order in.”
“Nonsense!” my brother exclaimed, pouring gravy over his potatoes. John looked at me and smiled. That’s when I realized that my dear son’s silence wasn’t meant to hurt me. No. He was trying to wait for the right moment to teach Liz a lesson and embarrass her in front of the family. Liz turned red after his comment as everyone stared at her. I have to admit I felt a bit sorry for her. It was her first Christmas with us, and already, it wasn’t going well. Later, when I was back in the kitchen, loading the dishwasher and clearing the dishes, Liz came in. “Kate, I’m sorry,” my daughter-in-law said.