“You brought the wrong dessert.”
I held up the box.
“Chocolate cake.”
“I specifically requested cheesecake.”
“You specifically requested that I stop dating your mother once. We’re all learning to compromise.”
Karen appeared behind him.
“Alex!”
Daniel burst out laughing.
I grinned.
“What? I’m trying to build healthy communication.”
“Get inside before I change my mind,” Daniel said.
Dinner was awkward for approximately twelve minutes.
Then Daniel started telling a story about his new supervisor, who had somehow managed to send an email complaining about an employee while accidentally copying the employee.
Karen nearly choked on her water.
I laughed so hard I had to put down my fork.
For a while, we were simply three people at a table.
Not a scandal.
Not a family crisis.
Not a difficult age difference.
Just people who loved one another and were learning how to live with the complicated history that connected them.
