Joe reeled around the apartment and then e-mailed back, "Congratulations! I'll be there. More congratulations. Love, Dad." He pulled an electric broom from the back of his closet and began pushing it back and forth across the carpet. Jackson was a good fellow. Kate was happy. He had never met Jackson's parents. He was going to have to be respectable. Where was San Juan Island, anyway? Reservations? The last dust crumb had disappeared into the electric broom when Joe stopped pacing. He put the vacuum cleaner away and decided that the sensible thing to do was to take a walk.
The phone rang.
"Hi, Joe."
"Uh, hey there." It was Alison.
"I enjoyed dinner last night."
"So did I."
"Joe, would you come exploring with me? I'm going to rent a car and see some of the island."
"Well, sure," he said, "but I've got a lot to do."
"Me, too. It will be fun, Joe. I'm thinking about the end of the week, maybe Friday or Saturday."
"Saturday would be good," he said, pushing it ahead.