Mary chuckles, "Just like when she pretended she'd never played darts."

I say, "I watched a lot of cooking videos. "I certainly hope it tastes good."

My cheeks shine with pride as the guys start praising the meal as soon as they start eating. I almost feel too anxious to eat, but as soon as I taste it, my appetite returns.

As everyone eats, there is a little period of silence. When the dialogue resumes, it is a little stilted. We all seem to be aware that there is an elephant in the room, but I'm not ready to start talking about what brought me here.

The guys finish up...