Terry cleaned up the spilled wine with a quiet spell. His heart was falling down toward his toes the longer his mother stared off into the middle distance silently. His hand tightened around Susan's almost painfully. "We will be getting married some time before then but we've not yet set a date."
And still there was silence.
"Mum?" he whispered.
Rosalind blinked once, twice, but never looked at either of them. "Congratulations," she said finally in a voice as hollow as her expression. "You'll let me know when you set, you set the date." She stood, pushing away from the table, unable to think about anything but leaving before she broke down into tears or hysterics. Neither thing was allowable where her frail little boy could see. "Good evening."
She did not hear Terry calling after her as she marched to the door. The ringing in her ears was too loud.