Page 102 of The Housekeeper

“Did you go to the casinos?” Tracy asked, and then more hopefully, “Did you win?”

“You might say that.”

“How much?” she pressed.

“Oh, maybe a few hundred dollars. But that’s not the point.”

“The point being…” I said.

“I won something much more valuable than money.”

Tracy and I exchanged worried glances. Our father had always been the exact opposite of sentimental. To him, the only thing more valuable than money wasmoremoney.

There are only a handful of reasons why people visit Niagara Falls. One, of course, is to view the falls, one of the true wonders of the world, and weather permitting, take a boat ride under the falls on theMaid of the Mist;another is to gamble and see the shows; a third is to visit MarineLand and other surrounding tourist attractions.

There is only one other reason people go to Niagara Falls: to honeymoon.

“You got married,” I said.

“No, he did not,” Tracy exclaimed. “Daddy, you did not get married! Did you?”

Our father’s face broke into a huge grin as he extended his arms toward the living room entrance, and Elyse all but danced into the room. She was wearing a lilac-colored suit and a dazzling smile. On the ring finger of her right hand was a diamond sparkler of at least four carats; on the ring finger of her left was a diamond eternity band.

“Tracy, Jodi,” our father said, grabbing Elyse around the waist and spinning her around. “Say hello to my beautiful bride.”