“I’m fine, thank you,” Jennifer answered shyly, looking down at Chad and Clue.

“Look,” Chad began, getting up off the floor. “We’ve been camping for the past two weeks and we’re filthy and everything we own is dirty. Do you think we could just shower and do some laundry before we worry about breakfast?”

“The showers will be fine, but I think Shannon is using the washing machine,” his mother answered, still trying to adjust to the fact that her son had finally brought home a girl to meet them.

“Who’s Shannon?”

“Chrissy’s baby nurse,” his mother explained.

“Please excuse my mother’s syntax-I think she’s trying to tell us that this unknown person named Shannon is the baby nurse of my nephew and niece, Ethan and Rosie, my sister Chrissy’s twins,” Chad explained to Jennifer.

“I know exactly what your mother meant, Chad. And we’re both dying to meet the twins,” Jennifer said, looking at Susan.

“They are remarkable babies and we’ll be happy to show them to you as soon as they wake up,” Jed said.

“Which is now,” Susan added as a familiar wail wafted down the stairway, through the hall, and into the kitchen.

“Listen to the lungs on those guys,” Chad said.

“Do you think we could go see them?” Jennifer asked. “I love babies.”

“Go on up,” Susan said.

“Your mother turned the guest room into a nursery,” Jed explained.

“And…,” Susan began, but Chad and Jennifer, closely followed by Clue, had already started up the stairs. She turned to her husband. “He brought a girl home.”

“Don’t make too much of this.”

“But he’s never brought a girl home.”

“Susan-”

“And she loves babies.”

“Susan-”

“Do you think they’ll get married? Have children? Bring their kids here?”

“Susan-”

“Jed,” his wife interrupted him with his name. “Do you think we’ll ever be alone in this house again?”

And her husband reached over, put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “I don’t know about you, but I’m banking on it.”

Valerie Wolzien