Chapter 19March 24th
I set the table neatly, making sure the forks and knives were on the right sides of the plates and that we put out the nice ones with the floral pattern around the edge that my mother liked. I put out the matching place mats and the nice salt and pepper shakers, threw out the wilted peonies that had been on the table all month, and even swept the dining room while I waited for the oven timer to go off.
Dad came around the corner to survey the spread, nodding approvingly. “Thanks for your help, Corey,” he said, leaving the room and returning with the single pink orchid he’d picked up that afternoon and setting it down in the middle of the table.
“She’s going to love that,” I told him encouragingly, though I knew she wouldn’t make a fuss over the flower at all. It was
