Small Table

A dinner party invitation for six, which is the number of chairs that actually exist once the desk chair is brought in from the bedroom. Everyone brings a side. Nobody brings a paper plate, because the subject line said real plates and the host meant it. Napkins are folded and tied, and each one has a name on it, so the seating is settled before anyone takes off a coat.

The oven does one thing at a time, so the green beans go in while the bird rests and the rolls go in while the gravy is argued over. Somebody carves badly. Somebody else says it looks fine. At the end the containers come out, the dishes are portioned by who brought what and who ate the most of it, and the ruling is accepted. The sink is full and the table is still full of people, which is the part that runs long.