Page 107 of The New Place

And she’ll likely be wearing her cape, the way things are going.

Ned holds the door for Charles. Inside, he spots the girls and Abbot at the host stand. Peggy has her coat off, her cape on full display. It was cute when Mom sewed it for her. It’s still cute, at home or at the type of place where kids can draw on the paper tablecloth with crayons.

Charles looks down at it, and then at Ned, and fuck losing his job, his credit card debt, and that he lives with his parents—nobody gets to look at Peggy like that. It’s one thing for Ned to be embarrassed and another entirely for her to face any part of the brunt of Charles’s disapproval. So Ned puts his hand on her head and steers her to follow the host to their table, letting her walk with all the joy she has in her little self for her battered and wrinkled cape.

“Congratulations to you both,” Charles says when they’ve sat.

Peggy squirms in her seat. “I’ll be your aunt.”

“No, sweetheart, Liesl will actually be yours,” Ned says. “And thank you. We’re excited.” They’re something, at least. Strangely silent with each other, mostly.

“I want to be the aunt,” Peggy says, already frowning.

Charles gives her a silent look.

Ned starts to sweat. “Liesl is Abbot’s—Henry’s—” fuck, he thinks. “Sister, so if he and I are married, and you’re my kiddo, that makes her your step-aunt.”

Peggy’s forehead wrinkles. “That’s not as good.”

“You’ll get to be the flower girl,” Liesl says. “I’ll be a bridesmaid. Are you changing your name?”

“Am I…” Ned starts. He glances at Abbot. Of course he’s not changing his name. Is he expected to? Is Abbot changing his? “We haven’t gotten that far.”

“Mom and Dad got married in America and at home,” Liesl says. “Are you going to do that too?”

Beside him, Abbot stiffens.

Ned adds that to the only other thing he knows about Abbot’s mother: Don’t expect Abbot to be thrilled at the idea of pumpkin pie, and she had two weddings. Check and check. Maybe someday he’ll be able to add an entire third item to that list.

Oh, yeah, he can: She had some serious cash, too.

“You know what we’ll do?” Ned can head this off, at least, before Abbot grows even colder. “Your idea was great. We’ll definitely have Baxter carry the rings.”

If he’s better by then. Ned knots his fingers in his lap. He’ll be alright. Whenever this fictional wedding happens, Baxter will still be just fine. Right?

“I’ll show you the video of the dog.” Liesl reaches into her pocket, but Charles’s look stills her.

“You can show me later,” Ned says. Peggy, if she had a phone, would probably whip it out regardless of any sternness Ned could fit into a glance, turn the volume on full blast and dance along with music she blared across the restaurant, cape fluttering.

“What’re you going to wear?” Liesl asks Ned.

He wore a suit to his first wedding. He still has it in his closet at his parents’ house. Not that he wears it anymore. It’s a waste of a good suit to leave it on its hanger, but it’s too odd to consider putting on now.

“You know, I haven’t thought about it,” Ned says.

“Did you decide on the cake?”

“I can make cake,” Peggy says.

“Not yet,” Ned says.

“No, I know how. We can make some tonight,” Peggy says.

“Henry says we have to make caramelköpfli,” Liesl says.

“We can make both, I’m sure, but probably not tonight, hon,” Ned says. Unless the caramel thing is a cake? Oh, who the hell knows. Not him, clearly.

“Henry, you have the recipe for creme caramel,” Charles says.