Phone Call at Dinner

Tonight when we sat down to eat her cell rang. She answered, talked at the table for a couple minutes and then went downstairs to talk. She was gone ten minutes. When she came back she was a totally changed person. Quiet, tense, wouldn't look up from her plate.

When we were about finished eating she said, "I suppose I should tell you what my dad said." Somehow I knew it was mom or dad on the phone. "My dad wants us to wait until next year to get married because it will cost him $3500 if I get married this year." And then the tears welled up in her eyes.

My wife looked at me and asked, "What does he mean by that?"

I said, "Tax deduction."

The announcement sort of put a damper on the evening. My wife tried to brighten the mood by saying that my sister wanted to have everybody over for drinks and a little food after the ceremony.

Our guest didn't look up from the table and said, "Well I doubt that my parents will come. They'll be too busy." Then she looked up at my wife and said, "I'm serious."