"I think I'm gonna bust!" Thomas chuckled, rubbing his stomach. He pushed his empty plate away and began to stir some sugar into his coffee. His eyes crinkled in the corners when he looked at Amanda. "Thanks for bringing dessert. You must have had a premonition about Maria's apple pie."

She placed her napkin on the table and lowered her voice. "I still don't understand how she could have sat in it, Thomas."

He held back a snicker. "I think she just forgot that she had placed it on a stool in the kitchen to cool...and the rest is history."

She covered her mouth with her hands to stifle a giggle.

Noah sat quietly listening to their conversation, until the laughter started. He couldn't help but join in.

Amanda inhaled deeply, trying to get her breath back from giggling so hard. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, and glanced at Noah, who immediately let out a chain of rippling chuckles. "We better calm down before Maria comes in here and swats all of our heads."

Thomas started to say something but began coughing instead. Hunching over, his breathing became labored. Noah rushed to his side and helped him from his chair. "Dad, why don't I take you upstairs to your room so you can rest for a while?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. The laughing just brought on a cough. That's all it is," he gasped and began coughing again. After a while, he stopped resisting and allowed Noah to guide him from the dining room.