After dessert, I stood and cleared my throat.
“Before we wrap up, I’d like to give a toast. But first, I need to show you all something so the toast makes sense.”
Eric grinned, raising his wine.
I picked up the remote. The TV glowed to life, paused on the first frame of my screen-recording — our kitchen, from above.
“What’s that, honey?” Doris asked. “What’s the big news?”
I smiled at my husband.
“Just a little behind-the-scenes look at how the Thanksgiving magic really happened today.”
Then I pressed play.
Silence fell over the room. On screen, Eric walked into the kitchen. Then Mel entered. The kiss was unmistakable — practiced, comfortable.
The video showed their laughter, the double-turkey plan, the line that made my mother visibly flinch:
