Once in Every Life

"Together?" Savannah's voice came out as a surprised squeak.

Tess set the plates down. "Of course, together. We're a family, aren't we?"

Jack gave her a sick look. "Don't tell me. Supper's one of those 'new and improved' things."

She pulled out her chair and sat down, patting the back of the chair nearest her. "Here you go, Jack. Head of the table."

He edged past her and took a seat, careful not to touch so much as her little finger.

"Savannah and Katie, y'all?my, what a great word that is?y'all sit on either side of your daddy."

When everyone was seated, Tess went to the stove an

d eased the oven door open. Dry heat whooshed out at her, bringing with it the scent of done-to-a-turn biscuits. Grabbing a towel, she pulled out the heavy pan and set it on the riddle board, then snapped the door shut with her hip and ventured a proud look at her biscuits.

Her smile fell flat.

Her biscuits were flatter.

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She stood there a long time, staring at her failure, trying vainly to figure out what she'd done wrong. After a few minutes, Savannah came up beside her and peered around her shoulder.

"Gosh, them biscuits are flat. Look hard, too. You musta forgot the soda."

"Oh," Tess said. She felt a moment's worth of disappointment, but years in the scientific trenches had taught her to discard it easily. Then she had a flash of inspiration. "They aren't biscuits, they're? No, I'll save that for later. Come on, let's sit down."

The four of them came together at the table and sat down like a regular family. They looked everywhere except at one another. Gazes darted like wildfire, up, down, across, away. Obviously no one knew what to do, or when to do it.

"Everyone take hands," Tess said in a voice that brooked no argument.

"But?" Savannah started.

'Wow." Tess reached a hand toward each girl. Katie's small, pudgy, pink hand slipped into her own warm one, and Tess gave the girl's cold, trembling fingers a reassuring squeeze. Then she took hold of Savannah's hand.

Jack looked studiously at the flowers on the table, his hands in his lap. For a moment Tess thought he wasn't going to comply. Just as she was about to say his name, he brought his hands to the table and clasped his daughters' hands.

Tess bowed her head and waited for everyone else to do the same. One by one, they did. "For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly grateful. Amen."

"Amen," mumbled the rest of the family. Immediately everyone yanked their hands back.

With a sigh, Tess eased her napkin out from beneath the

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silverware and plopped it in her lap. Plucking up the soupspoon, she took a sip of her stew, and frowned.

The broth tasted like bottled water that had been left in the sun. No, it was saltier than that. Seawater, maybe.

She reached for the pepper and poured a load in her stew. "What did I do wrong, Savannah?"

"Nothing, Mama. It's great."

Tess laughed easily. "Sure, if you like drinking dirty dishwater ..."

Savannah struggled with a smile. "The vegetables and meat are good. Maybe next time you could add some flour to the broth. It'll thicken it."

"God knows you can find the flour," Jack muttered.