“Or are you planning to run out to the workshop to get away from me?”

“I like how it fits,” I said, scraping a speck of dried varnish off my right thumb.

She snorted and turned her eyes straight to Lily.

“Well, pass the gravy, then.

Some of us actually appreciate a hot meal after driving across town.”

No one passed the bowl.

Vanessa took hold of the ceramic handle herself, poured a thick brown puddle onto her plate, and set the dish down with a sharp rattle on the table.

“You always were stingy with butter, Sarah,” Vanessa said, jabbing her fork into the potatoes.