Janice leans toward Sandy. “Any news on the house hunt?”
“Oh yes!” Sandy beams. “We decided on one of those new builds. That subdivision on the south end of town.”
“How perfect. You can finish things exactly how you want them.”
“Exactly! Adam’s planning to build a man cave in the basement. For baseball-watching.”
Peter Kim lights up. “Excellent! I’ll be over on game day!”
The four of them share a laugh.
Sandy turns to Tova. “What about you, Mrs. Sullivan?”
“What do you mean?” Tova lifts a brow.
“Your house? Have you had any offers?”
Janice drops her fork and turns to stare at Tova.
“Jessica Snell mentioned it at closing. That your house had just come on the market. Not a good fit for us, of course. We need at least five bedrooms for when the grandkids come visit.”
“Eventual grandkids,” Adam corrects her. “Theoretical grandkids.”
Tova twists her napkin in her lap.
“Such a gorgeous house, though,” Sandy yammers on. “Jessica said she didn’t think it would last long. Someone will snap it up.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” Tova says quietly.
“Tova.” Janice’s voice is sharp. “What is she talking about?”
“Oh. Is it not . . . ? I mean, did you all not know . . . ?” Sandy’s cheeks turn as red as the pimento in Adam’s fresh martini.
“It’s quite all right.” Tova clears her throat. “Sandy is correct. I’m selling my house. I’ve applied for a suite up at Charter Village in Bellingham.”
A silence falls over the table.
“What?” Mary Ann gasps.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Barb demands.
“What about the house?” Janice leans forward.
“That beautiful house! Your father’s house!”
“And all of your things, Tova!”
“You have so many beautiful things! You’re not going to get rid of it all?”
“Where will all of your things go?”
“So many things to go through!”
“That attic, I can’t imagine.”
“Those trunks of your mother’s, the cedar ones. What a shame!”
“I’m perfectly capable of dealing with my belongings,” Tova says, her voice taut. This puts a stop to the volley of comments. How can the Knit-Wits cast judgment on her possessions, anyway? Mary Ann with all those statuettes, and Janice’s house has a whole room dedicated to computer equipment, much of which seems to serve no actual purpose. Barb, for some reason that has never been fully explained, has been collecting elephants since she was a bachelorette, for heaven’s sake. Her whole guest bedroom is full of elephant keepsakes. Who are they to cast stones?
Janice lays a hand on Tova’s shoulder. “You don’t need to do this, you know. Peter and I have always said you could live with us, that you could—”
“Absolutely not. I would never burden you in that way.”
Janice shakes her head. “You’re never a burden, Tova.”
AS THE DISHES are being cleared, Mary Ann makes a trip around the table to thank everyone for coming. Janice and Peter Kim bid goodbye, explaining that they’ll be late for their pottery class. Barb Vanderhoof and her too-tight sequins shimmy out of the room on their way to her weekly therapist appointment. Omar brings the check for Laura to sign and makes a joke about Mary Ann causing trouble in Spokane. Adam Wright swallows the dregs of his third martini and clasps his hands around Mary Ann’s forearm. “Thank you for having us!”
“This was so lovely!” Sandy chimes in, seeming to have forgotten about the bomb she dropped earlier. Thankfully, the rest of the table seems to have shrugged it off, too, although Tova caught Janice and Barb whispering about changing her mind.
Mary Ann’s smile is tight as she perches on the empty chair next to Tova. “I’ll see you before I leave this weekend, won’t I?”
“Certainly. I’ll stop by.”
“I’d like that.” Mary Ann’s voice shakes a bit. Laura hurries over and stands behind her mother, winds an arm around her shoulders.
“It’s so great of you to take your mom in.” Adam turns to Mary Ann, leaning back in his chair. “Man, I’m glad I had kids, even if it means I’ll never be rid of my ex-wife. Because it would be hell to get old alone. Isn’t that why anyone has kids?”
Sandy jabs him. “Don’t be ridiculous, babe.”