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Tami parked her car in the Hawkswell driveway, being careful to leave room for Brian's family's cars to get around. "Feels different this time. I'm kind of excited."
"Me too. Wait. Don't get out yet."
Brian got out of the car and walked around to open the door for Tami.
"Oh. Will you be doing this all the time from now on?" She took the hand he offered and climbed out.
"Actually, yeah. I'm a little traditional about some things."
"For traditions you don't really know."
"Family influence."
They walked to the front porch holding hands, and Brian opened the door. "They're expecting us. Did I tell you you look really nice?"
Tami laughed lightly. "Only about three times already." She looked around the living room, taking in the furnishings and decor.
"You've been counting?"
"Hi!" Brian's mother called from the kitchen. "Quit loitering out there and come back here and give me a hand!"
"So far so good," Brian muttered under his breath.
As the entered the kitchen, she waved them over to the oven. Three cookie sheets full of biscuits waited on the counter to be put into the oven. Other pans and dishes were spread out on the counters and table, evidence of dinner preparations in progress. "I've got biscuits ready to go in, and the oven should be hot in about five more. Could you take care of them?"
Brian's face clouded, and he caught Tami's eyes and tried to give her a warning.
She winked at him. "Oven's set at 180, ten minutes?"
"That should be about right. But you know ovens."
"I'll keep an eye on them. Put the rest in as they come out?"
"Yes. That would be wonderful."
"Mo-om, ..."
Footsteps sounded on the stairs.
"Oh, I guess I should introduce myself," Carol said, wiping her hands on her apron. "You're Tami, of course." She reached out and took Tami's hand. "Call me Carol."
"I'm just as likely to call you Mom, I'm afraid. But I'll try to remember, Carol."
Brian grinned.
His mother chuckled, smiling warily. "Fair enough."
Joan walked breezily into the kitchen. "Hi, Tami. No hard feelings for the little joke that night?"
"It was amusing. We laughed about it all the way back to the dorms."
Brian realized he had been holding his breath, and chuckled as he exhaled.
"Is that your car?"
Brian caught his breath again.
"Yeah. It's not much, but I'm on a budget."
"You bought it yourself?"
"Yeah."
"It looks like it's in pretty good shape. What, ninety-five?"
"Ninety-three. It should last me through college."
Brian raised his eyebrows and grinned at Tami.
"Want to go for a ride after dinner?" she asked.
"Sure!"
Brian groaned. "Hey. Maybe I want some time with Tami today."
Tami giggled. "You can come along."
Joan grinned and Brian rolled his eyes.
Carol laughed comfortably and went back to work. "What do you like in your stuffing, Tami?"
Tami leaned over and looked in the bowl, breathing in. "Mmmm. Celery, basil, onions, thyme. I like a little cumin and garlic, too. Sometimes fresh ginger."
Carol pointed at a cupboard, and Tami went to the sinks and washed her hands. Returning to the cupboard, she opened it and looked at bottles of seasonings and spices. "Ah. Cumin." She picked up a bottle. "And dried garlic and ginger. No fresh?"
"In the fridge."
Brian went to a different cupboard and opened it.
Closing the spices cupboard and handing the cumin to Carol, Tami went to the fridge and opened it. She quickly found ginger and garlic, and looked around for a knife and a cutting board.
Brian handed her a knife, holding it by the blade, and she took it by the haft and said, "Thanks."
Then he washed a cutting board and set it on an open space on the counter. Tami set the ginger and garlic on the board and nudged him out of the way and got to work.
"Should I get the biscuits?" Brian asked.
Tami looked up at the clock and said, "In about a minute, right, Mom?"
Carol nodded.
Joan washed her hands and got to work, too, as footsteps in the hall announced the arrival of more family.
"Hi, honey, everything under control?" Brian's father poked his head in the kitchen. "Oh. You're already here. And our resident slave driver already has you working."
"Hi, Dad." Brian and Tami said, practically in chorus.
Carol grinned.
"Tami, right?" You can call me Tom."
"I'll try to remember, Tom."
Tom looked puzzled, and Carol grinned again.
"Pff-heh." Joan tried to keep from laughing.
More footsteps.
"That should be Craig." Brian said as he picked up a sheet of biscuits. "Forty minute mark," he said and slid them into the oven, closing the door. "Can't we do two at once?"
"Wait until the second batch," Carol said. How's the ginger and garlic coming, Tami dear?"
"Here you are. Are there giblets?"
Carol blinked. "Would you like to prepare them?"
"Sure."
Brian looked up and caught Tami's eye, raising his eyebrows inquisitively. "Now I'm really impressed," he mouthed silently.
She grinned and replied out loud. "Can't let the good parts go to waste. Unless you were planning to feed them to the cat?"
"This I've got to see," said Joan.
Darrel poked his head in and said, "Hi Tami! I'm Darrel."
Little Tom poked his head in underneath and mimicked Darrel.
Tami laughed as she and Carol worked the chicken open to remove the giblets. "Hi, Darrel and Darrel. But second Darrel is Little Tom, I think?"
"That's me. When are you going to marry Brian?"
Suddenly the room was silent, except for the sound of broth simmering on the stove.
Brian said, "Shhh. It's a secret."
Tami leaned around and kissed him behind the ear.
"Stop that." Brian shivered and looked back, grinning, and squeezed Tami's shoulder. "Go get the Pit deck, guys. We're running out of things to do in here."
The two boys ran off and Craig came in. He turned and called after them, "See if you can find Risk, too."
Joan called out, "No Risk, get that charades game."
Craig came up behind Tami and gave her a sideways hug. "Hi, Tami, I'm Craig."
She put her spoon down, reached around, and hugged him back. "Brian mentioned you." And she went back to work. "So we're waiting for Charlotte and Fred, and Theresa?" she asked.
Brian smiled and absently shook has head.
"Oh. I forgot Todd. It'll be easier to keep names straight when I meet everyone."
Brian stood up and stepped close to her, leaning to whisper in her ear, "When did this magic thing happen?" And kissed her behind the ear.
She blushed, and shushed him, continuing to work on the chicken.
Carol looked at them shrewdly. "Do tell," she murmured.
Tom said, "So you two really are serious about this."
"Yeah, Dad." Brian reached out to hold the roasting pot still while Tami and his mom checked for more giblets.
"What are your financial plans?"
Tami looked up at Brian. "We've talked about working part-time jobs and getting student loans, but Brian says he should get a job and put me through school first."
"Hmmm." Tom set his mouth. "Did you know he has a trust from his grandfather?" He paused and watched Brian and Tami carefully. "Of course, he can't access it until he's back from his mission or gets married. He didn't tell you about that?
"Uhmm, ..."
Carol said, "He's never been able to hold down a job very long, though. That trust fund wouldn't even last a year for two at school."
"Really? Never been able to hold a job? I haven't seen any bad work habits at school."
"Mom, I'm not sure how I'd burn through a mi ... that much money even in four years of undergrad plus four of grad school, ehh, even between the two of," Brian looked at Tami, blinked, and breathed, "us. Even if we used it. Besides, what's money got to do with anything? We'll make something work, right Tam?"
Tami gave Brian a worried look, and mouthed, "Not Tam. Please."
Brian tilted his head, apologizing with his eyes, and mouthed the word, "Sorry."
"It sounds like a big trust. I really didn't have any idea." She gave Brian a sharp look. "We should have talked about this more."
Brian nodded. "I'm sorry. It's a big trust, but you said money doesn't matter, right?"
"Well, ..."
"What do you guys plan to do about family Sunday dinners?" Joan asked.
"I, uhm, think it'll be fun, if you'll have us."
"Joan, this is the first I've been to in more than a year. I'm not sure I'm ready for every week."
"Score one for Tami. She's good for you, Brian."
"Joan, ..." Carol began.
"Maybe Tami will be able to reform you, Bri. You know, maybe she can talk you into going on a mission."
Tami looked at Brian and he looked back.
"We're thinking about that," she said, not breaking eye contact.
Brian nodded but didn't say anything.
Joan turned around to face Tami. "Tami, if you really want this guy to straighten out before you tie the knot, you should both go on missions at the same time." She clapped her hands. "Wouldn't that be romantic?"
Tami's face showed a moment of panic, and she looked down. "I don't think that would work."
"If it's the money for the mission, I think Dad and Mom would like to help."
"Joan, you're awfully free with other people's money," Brian complained in a low voice.
"We could talk about that," Carol said, trying to catch Tami's eye.
"I don't think I could go on a mission."
A moment stretched into an uncomfortable silence. Then Joan tried to lighten the mood. "I mean, it's not like you have children from a previous marriage or something, right?"
"Joan, ..." Brian began.
Tami squeezed her face, bravely trying to keep it from crumbling. "No kids. No previous marriage."
Brian went to her and pulled her into a hug and she buried her face in his chest. "I've never seen you like this," he whispered in her ear. "What's wrong?"
She shook her head.
"Uhm, you did say you were Mormon, didn't you?" Joan tried one last time to make a joke.
Tami froze. "Well, actually, ..." Her voiced was muffled by Brian's shirt.
Brian kept his grip tight.
"No."
"And why should that matter?" Brian asked. I think the biscuits are getting too brown. Joan, could you get them?"
Joan jumped up and grabbed the oven door. "Ouch." Running to the sink, she ran water on her burned hand.
While Tom followed Joan to the sink, Tami released herself from Brian's embrace, grabbed a hot pad and opened the door, and pulled the biscuits out. Brian grabbed a flat hot pad and set it on the counter, and Tami set the sheet down on it.
"Ice, Craig," Tom called out. And Craig went to the fridge for ice.
Carol handed a spatula to Tami, taking another for herself, and they started lifting the biscuits so they could cool without sticking. Brian grabbed the remaining sheets and slid them into the oven and shut the door.
"Your hand okay, Joan?" he asked as he picked up a box of tissue.
"Yeah. Sorry. Thanks. I don't think it'll blister."
Craig put ice in a bowl and brought it to the sink for Joan, holding it under the tap.
Brian went to Tami's side and dabbed at Tami's eyes and nose.
"Thanks," she mumbled. She and Carol finished with the biscuits, and then she took another tissue and turned toward Brian and blew her nose carefully. He grabbed another tissue and gave it to her, gathering her into a loose hug.
"Are you okay, Joan?" she asked, dabbing her nose and eyes again with the tissue.
"It's not bad. Sorry I asked."
"Never mind. I should have mentioned it before."
Darrel and Little Tom came back. "Here's the Pit deck. We brought Charades and Risk, too."
"Why does Joan have her hand in a bowl of water?"
"Can I do that, too?"
|***|
As they drove back that evening, Tami said, "Thanks for backing me up. I should have told you."
"You're really not a member?"
"I tried to give you hints."
"But you know the Book of Mormon."
"I'm taking the class. I researched the Church when I picked the school. I guess you'll want to rethink things?"
"Not in the sense of calling this off. Something magic happened. I swear, for ten good minutes I felt like you and I were part of that family. I haven't felt like that at family dinner for ages. Years. And then Joan asked that, and, well, maybe it wasn't perfect any more, but it was still family." Brian watched the traffic for a few moments. "Still family."
"Your family seemed to take it in stride. Dinner wasn't uncomfortable. We played family games after dinner, and you and Joan and I went for a drive. They're good people. It felt good to me, too." She sighed. "Maybe they'll let me just be your friend."
"Tami, I'm in love."
"Help."
"You're not?"
"Maybe I am."
For several minutes, they remained silent.
"You're not ditching this. Not ditching me."
"Your parents ..."
"I think they're on your side. Our side. Mom had doubts, and so did Dad, but you ... we passed every test they threw at us ... with flying colors."
"I don't see how to move forward. I mean, we never really said 'marriage of convenience', but that was how we were treating it."
"Many marriages have gotten a worse start."
"But I'm not Mormon."
Neither said anything for a moment.
"If God is real, would He just ignore how we started? And would He forgive you for marrying a gentile?"
"God is not prejudiced."
"But it's not right. We can't make something that real out of something fake."
The conversation stalled again until they arrived at the dorm parking lots.
"Study tonight?" Brian looked over at Tami as she shut off the engine.
"I'd like that. At least studying can't get us in trouble with God."
"Your dorm lounge?"
"Yeah."
"Meet you there in ten?" He grinned.
"Okay." She smiled hesitantly.
Brian reached over and stroked Tami's hair, letting his fingers linger behind her ears. She shivered and smiled.
"I shouldn't have told you about the backs of my ears."
Brian smiled softly. "I wouldn't be so sure it was ever fake."
Tami shook her head with a hesitant smile. "Ten."
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