Whatever the reason, I put my fork down.
“Okay.”
Mark was still smiling.
I looked around the table.
“Who was the first wife?”
The laughter stopped.
Completely.
Not slowly.
Instantly.
Daniel stopped moving.
Mark’s smile vanished.
My mother-in-law lowered her eyes.
Steven picked up his water glass even though it was already empty.
Paul stared at his plate.
I waited for somebody to laugh.
Nobody did.
And that was when fear entered the room.
I looked at Daniel.
“What?”
He reached for my hand.
“Phoebe.”
I pulled it away.
“What was that?”
“It’s nothing.”
“No.”
I looked around the table.
“That was not nothing.”
Mark muttered:
“It was a stupid joke.”
“Great.”
I nodded.
“Explain it.”
Silence.
My stomach tightened.
“Daniel?”
He looked at me.
Then away.
I felt cold.
For twenty years, I’d assumed there was no explanation.
Now I realized everyone at that table knew it except me.
