He looked at me, then at his mother, and finally at Sarah.

“What’s going on in here?” Dan asked, sensing the tension.

Juliette immediately turned to him, her expression turning into one of aggrieved offense.

“Dan, thank goodness,” Juliette said. “Your wife is trying to starve us.”

Dan blinked, looking at the plate of saltines on the counter.

“Annie?” Dan asked, his brow furrowing. “Where is the food?”

“I told your mother we are on a strict budget now,” I said.

“But we talked about this,” Dan said, his voice dropping. “We agreed to host.”

“We agreed to have them over,” I corrected him. “We did not agree to spend money we do not have.”

Juliette scoffed, taking a step toward her son.

“I don’t care about your little budget games,” Juliette said. “Get your credit card, Dan.”

“Mom, please,” Sarah said, trying to pull her mother’s sleeve.

“No, Sarah,” Juliette insisted. “Dan is going to go to the market and buy us a proper dinner.”

She looked at Dan, expecting compliance.

“Go on, Dan,” Juliette commanded. “Take your sister with you and get the premium spread.”