Around noon, when the men finished playing, their wives and children arrived, along with Vincent and Marcus’ friends, who brought tennis racquets and bathing suits. And throughout the early afternoon, as the rest of the guests arrived, Spot the Third, a hypoallergenic Bichon Frise, barked and danced around on the grass at the side of the house every time a new person walked through the gate.
By one o’clock, the long table on the patio was an embarrassment of edible riches. Every guest but me brought food and beer or food and wine. There were always four different salads and pasta dishes, and trays of fruit and vegetables, and cheeses and homemade pastries. Ellen, with help from my mother and Simon, barbecued hamburgers and hotdogs and chicken, and grilled vegetables, and whenever Darren P
