Then laughed.
“What is this?”
“Weekend jobs.”
“I can see that.”
She tilted her head.
“I’m breakfast?”
“You’re breakfast.”
Her smile faded.
“You’re serious?”
“Very.”
She stared at me.
“Your mother invited us here.”
Before I could respond, Daniel came downstairs.
T-shirt.
Pajama pants.
Hair everywhere.
He stopped at the bottom step.
Read the board.
Looked at me.
Then looked at his name.
Daniel: breakfast cleanup.
Susan turned toward him.
“Apparently, I’m making breakfast.”
She said it like she expected him to laugh.
He hesitated for half a second.
Then said,
“Okay.”
Susan stared at him.
“Okay?”
“Yeah.”
Daniel pointed toward the board.
“I’ll clean afterward.”
Susan folded her arms.
“When people stay at my house, I don’t hand them a chore list.”
At that moment, Richard came downstairs wearing his fishing hat and a T-shirt that said WORLD’S OKAYEST GOLFER.
Daniel looked at his mother.
“No, Mom. You don’t.”
He paused.
“Because Dad does the grocery shopping at your house. I usually make breakfast when I’m there. And everybody clears the table after dinner.”
Then he added,
“Everybody except you.”
Susan turned toward Richard.
Richard looked as though he desperately wanted to walk back upstairs.
