Author's Note: This is the next installment! Please enjoy!

Dinner

A splash of salt fell into the boiling pot. With a graceful hand she attempted to pour in a little drop of oil, but it just came pouring out and divided as bubbles in the water. Another set of hands controlled the bag that held all the pasta, spilling it into the pot before the oil bubbles could be mixed back into the water. For a few minutes the pasta sank, then it rose up and the water bubbled again.

"Smells delicious." Marian was informed with a kiss on the cheek. Winthrop made a sour face, being pushed into the counter as Harold Hill came into the kitchen. Harold's hands wrapped around Marian's apron and she smiled, up until Winthrop made an ahem at the music professor. "Well hello Winthrop." The boy beamed up at the blue eyed professor. "Are you helping your sister with dinner?"

Winthrop nodded. "Unhuh. Doethn't it thmell thcrumpthyuth, profethor?" Harold still couldn't get over how much the boy had overcome his shyness. Even though his lisp was still pretty strong, he was getting better and he was more than willing to tell people about the band and his shiny gold cornet. "Thithter even let me fix the pathta, all by mythelf!" Marian and Harold both laughed at that, knowing that it wasn't fully true but also that he was absolutely adorable with the little bit of flour on his cheeks from where he leaned against the counter.

"Now now, son, what's the flour from?" Harold asked, swiping the flour off of the child's fleshy cheek. Marian looked at her brother and hurried to wipe the rest of the flour off of his face. "Last I remember pasta didn't need flour all over the counter…"

Saved by the door, Mrs. Paroo walked into her house. "Harold, go set the table and keep mama busy. Dinner'll be ready in a moment." Harold left the room and put on his most charming smile. Winthrop waited around and Marian crouched down to his level. "Now that was close, dear, now go get yourself cleaned up for dinner. We can't spoil the surprise." Winthrop ran up the stairs to go wash up, and Marian heard Harold talking to her mother. She absentmindedly played with the diamond ring around her finger as she heard them talk. Oh, the day that she and Harold finally married would be a marvelous day, and it was coming up sooner than she could've imagined. They had planned the wedding for July seventh, and it was the July the first already. Marian checked the oven once more, but her mother came in before she could remove the surprise from the oven. "Hello mama." She said nervously, giving her a hug. If anyone could read through Marian's false smile, it was her mother.

"Well?" Mrs. Paroo asked, hands on her hips as her daughter pulled away from the hug. Like a child, Marian looked down at the floor. "Darlin' you're worse than your father. You can't keep a secret to save your life." Marian still didn't answer, just glanced at the oven. "Marian—"

Harold peeked into the doorway. "Table's set." Mrs. Paroo whipped around and smiled at her future son in law, letting go of the unanswered questions she left in that kitchen. "Widda Paroo, why don't you go on and sit? Winthrop has been helping Marian with dinner."

"He has?" There was a little suspicion and a pinch of accusation in the old woman's voice. "Why I'm sure it'll be—" Winthrop came running down the stairs and into the dining room. "Winthrop, do you need to go help your sister?" He shrugged, actually unsure of the answer.

The oven door opened and closed. "No mama, I'll be there in a minute." Marian said from in the kitchen, her oven mitt-clad hands gripping the pan. She had already opened the window and set the hot pan on the windowsill before carrying in the pasta her brother had made and the meatballs she prepared. Mrs. Paroo's suspicion had been replaced with pride for her children's cooking abilities.

Dinner went along smoothly, the boy and his mother sitting across the table from his sister and her fiancé. Winthrop liked it when Harold and Marian both had dinner at the Paroo house. More often than not recently they had had dinner with Ethel and Marcellus Washburn, or they went down to one of the few restaurants in River City. Marian loved having those dinner parties. She dressed up and Harold would come to the door to pick her up, and they'd stroll on down to wherever they were going. Sometimes, when she wasn't working at the library, he'd come by at lunchtime and sweep her away for a picnic in the park. But dinner at home with Mrs. Paroo and Winthrop was nice for all four of them. A full family dinner, probably the last one before Marian moved into her own house with Harold.

Mrs. Paroo was quite content with the meal, dabbing off her mouth with the napkin after she finished. Winthrop was having seconds, enjoying the pasta he prepared. Harold too was pleased, squeezing his fiancée's hand under the table. Marian was about to excuse herself from the table when she heard a loud crash coming from the other room followed by a loud hissing sound. She jumped from her seat and ran into the other room, frantically trying to fix the damage before her mother could make it to the kitchen. Unfortunately for Marian, her mother sat at the seat closest to the kitchen, and she did not beat her mother into the other room by much. Mrs. Paroo found Marian in a heap on the floor, crying as she picked up whatever was on the floor. A dishtowel was being wiped along the floor in careful rushed strokes, tears mixing with the dampness of the wrung out dishtowel.

"Now darlin'…" Mrs. Paroo said as she stepped in front of her daughter and went to close the window.

Marian looked up, wiping her eyes and letting out a little giggle. "Darn cat."

Mrs. Paroo's concern could not be washed away with Marian's comment. Flakes covered the floor like it had snowed, chunks of caramelized apples scattered among the golden crust flakes. Marian was crying over… apple pie? Marian swept up most of the apple chunks leaving a goopy caramel glaze on the floor, the crumbs forming clumps in her dishtowel. Mrs. Paroo just watched her daughter scrubbing up the apple pie remains, grabbing another towel.

"No no, mama, I got it." Marian insisted without looking up at her mother. She blew up a blonde wisp of her hair, green eyes rimmed with red.

Mrs. Paroo helped her daughter up off of the floor and grabbed the broom. "Darlin', are you alright?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise." Marian cried, her voice barely a whisper. She trembled just as her words did, losing her nerve and sweeping away her tears. "Harold's been working so hard with his music lessons, teaching and learning, and you've been doing so much to help me plan the wedding… Winthrop and I made dessert to celebrate…"

Mrs. Paroo took her daughter in a hug. She just held Marian as she choked back all her tears, the pie-soaked rag still in her hand. "Marian, shh, it's okay." She held her daughter by her arms just at a distance enough so that she could look in her eyes. Marian looked into her mother's kind brown eyes. "Tonight has been wonderful. Dinner was delicious, and the company was great." Marian giggled, but her smile still wasn't sincere. "You didn't have to make dessert, darlin', but thank you for doing so. And it looked delicious." Winthrop and Harold carried all the dishes from dinner into the kitchen. "And no dishes left to do afterwards? I couldn't ask for anything better."

"How about we go out for ice cream?" Harold suggested, seeing the caramel and apples on the floor. "The four of us, my treat."

"You boys run along, we'll meet you there shortly." Mrs. Paroo shooed the two boys out of the kitchen. She grabbed a rag and Marian started to the floor again. This time she didn't stop her mother from helping wipe up the caramel. "This pie would've been great… I'll kill that cat." Even though she tried to ease the tension, Marian didn't laugh like she had earlier. "Darlin', what's got you so worried? It was just a pie."

Marian shrugged. "Mama… am I making the right choice?" Marian looked frightened of what her mother would say, but Mrs. Paroo knew the right thing to say.

"Darlin', I'm surprised you didn't marry him the day he decided to stay in town." A simple smile came back up from Marian. The look on her face was simply childlike compared to the usual cold glances the woman was used to from the librarian. Clearly Harold had changed her quite a bit, her glances had softened and she had regained a sense of adventure. "He's brought out the best in you. I haven't seen you smile like that since your father died." Even though it was disheartening for Mrs. Paroo she knew it was true. "You're makin' the right choice, darlin', don't doubt that."

Marian nodded, taking in her words. She looked back down at the floor, and hurried to look up at her mother again. "Mama… am I rushing things?"

To Marian's surprise, her mother just laughed. "Rushin'? Currently you're keeping him waitin'! Come on, darlin', in this heat the ice cream will melt." The two ladies, pie remains cleaned up like it never happened, walked down to the ice cream parlor when the two men of the family were waiting for them. Even though it wasn't how Marian had hoped the evening would go, she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Author's Note: "Dinner" was prompted by Victoria, our lead dancer. She thought it would be a sweet heart to heart between the main four of the family, especially Mrs. Paroo and Marian. Well that's it! Please review, the next part will be posted soon!