He's the kind of man a woman would have to marry to get rid of. (Mae West)

Rick Senior sat at the head of the long dining room table. Penny’s father sat to his left, followed by her mother, sister, and then her. Tommy sat across from her with Vincent, Tony, and Rider strung along their side of the table. Ricky’s girl sat at the far end. If Senior was at the head of the table she was at the foot.

“You have a beautiful home,” Penny’s mother offered.

“Thank you,” Senior said. “It is nice to finally have dinner guests here to enjoy it. It is so rare that we have someone with the domestic aptitude of your generous daughter here to put our kitchen to use.”

Penny blushed. She was uncomfortable. Her family was so plain compared to the extravagance of Tommy’s family. Senior wore a suit; he most always wore a suit or a derivative of a suit. Even with his Sunday clothes on her dad looked poor in comparison. Penny was too aware of the fake pearls around her mother’s neck and the fact that her sister hadn’t showered after her shift at the hospital. Tommy and his brothers looked dapper. They had developed style as they accrued money and grew up while her family was still struggling just to get by.

Penny noticed her father looked particularly uncomfortable, more than her mother even. Her sister wore her resentment and anger well, it was hard to notice if you didn’t know it was there, but Penny, of course, knew. Penny couldn’t get past her father’s expression; he looked like he was downright in pain. Penny knew he never really liked Tommy, he may have hated him even, but she thought they had moved beyond that now. Somehow he seemed to be coming to terms with Tommy, warming up to him.

Today was different. Penny wondered if it was the dinner making him uncomfortable. Maybe the meal was making it seem serious. Penny wanted to tell him not to worry. She wanted to explain that this was just an ad hoc meal and didn’t mean anything. She wanted to reassure him that Tommy was an okay guy. She was looking at her father when Tommy stood up and raised a glass.

“I would like to make a toast,” Tommy announced. “I would like to make a toast to Penny who so graciously made the meal that we’re about to eat. Penny, you’re a generous girl. You’re a bright, no brilliant girl. You are kind and patient. From the time I saw you playing hopscotch alone when you were ten I’ve just wanted to sing to world that–” he swept the plate and cutlery away and hopped onto the table “–Penny Lane, you’re in my heart and in my ear.”

Rider shook his head. “Billy, don’t be a hero.”

Tommy’s brothers and his father laughed as Tommy hovered above them. Penny’s family was alarmed and nervous. Penny was embarrassed.

“Penny, you read me books when I couldn’t read. You’ve been my friend, my teacher, my mother, my lover, the highlight of my summer, the one I want to spend all my birthdays with.”

Tommy got on one knee on the table, towering above her.

“Will you marry me?”