“You don’t say,” she said. This was quite the development.
“Oh, it’s true,” he said.
“Well well well,” she said. “And to think we were just talking about her.”
“I know.”
“That’s quite the coinky-dink,” she said slyly. “You being down there and all.”
“Yeah.”
“She had it coming, you know,” she said.
“I knew you wouldn’t be upset when I told you. But I think it means we have to hold off for a couple of days on the next part.”
“Really?” she said. She knew she’d preached to him on the virtues of taking his time, but she was feeling impatient all of a sudden.
“There’s going to be a funeral here tomorrow,” he said, “and I guess there’s a whole lot of planning for something like that, and she didn’t even have any other family to make arrangements, right?”
“That’s my understanding,” she said.
“So my sister, she’s going to be pretty busy making all those arrangements, right? So maybe we should wait for that to be over.”
“I see your point. But there’s something I’d like you to do for me.”
“Yes?” he said.
“It’s just a little thing.”
“What?”
“Don’t call her your sister.” She was very firm.
“Sorry.”
“You know how I feel.”
“Okay. It’s just, well, you know, she is-”
“I don’t care,” she said.
“Okay, Mom,” he said. “I won’t do it again.”