Chapter 33

• The Kesler family arrived at Amanda's house within an hour, as expected. First to arrive was Wade's wife, Anne, who had a car full of groceries and preparations for a straightforward barbecue dinner and salad. She gave Amanda a quick hug like an old friend and then put her to work organizing the groceries. Lilly and Claire were the next to arrive. Lilly had apologized profusely through tears for what had occurred at the party the night before. Amanda hadn't met Fiona the previous night but she liked her right away when she saw her when Toby and his heavily pregnant wife arrived. With the assistance of Ernest and Toby, Jack and Jill quickly erected what appeared to be a sizable marquee at the back of her house after arriving in a large Jeep. As the cars were being unloaded, she discovered that a whole temporary entertainment area had been set up right outside her back door, with each of Ernest's siblings having brought something with them.
• Jill said to Amanda, pointing to the roofed structure that shaded the folding chairs and tables below it, "Best thing we ever bought." "I frequently use it at the kids' cricket games. Those games drag on all day, and I swear men design the sports fields because there is never any shade unless you bring your own."
• While the men set up portable barbeques, tables, and chairs under the shade structure, the women happily jostled for space as they all bustled around in the small kitchen. It was something Amanda had never seen before. For the majority of her life, she had been an only child, and even when Alecks and Ruslan arrived, they were away at school more frequently than they were here.