Jane sighed. "That's the real problem, isn't it? Why would anybody take a chance like that? It really had to be a spur-of-the-moment thing to do. It's too dumb to be anything else. Or we're too dumb to see the truth."

“Stick your turkey in the oven and take your nap," Shelley said as she got up and rinsed out her coffee cup. "Maybe your subconscious will work out the answer."

“You've got a lot more faith in my subconscious than I do."

“I have no faith whatsoever in your subconscious, but if you try to serve your mother-in-law an undercooked turkey breast, I'll never hear the end of it.”

The turkey was a great success. So was the dressing, the mashed potatoes, the gravy, and the corn casserole. In fact, Thelma Jeffry couldn't find anything to complain about except that cranberry sauce gave her a rash. "Then don't eat any, Grandma," Todd suggested sensibly.

Jane's honorary uncle Jim, a former army officer and lifelong friend of her parents, was there, too, standing in for them. And he was as proud of Mike as a real grandfather. Jane's brother-in-law Ted was there as well, doing his best to be a substitute dad. Ted's wife, Dixie Lee, presented Mike with an envelope containing a surprisingly generous check, and Jane's sister Marty, with her instinctive bad timing, called just as they started eating to wish Mike a great graduation.

“It's too bad your parents couldn't make it here for the big day," Thelma said as they were finishing up what everyone agreed was the best cherry cobbler Jane had ever made.

Mike, recognizing this as the sly criticism it was meant to be, fluffed up like an offended rooster. "Grumps is halfway around the world and they're hosting a diplomatic meeting that's been planned for two years."