Penny's POV
The front door finally closes behind the Harrisons and the Bennetts, making silence fill the house.
Mom doesn't move right away. She's still standing near the dining table with one hand resting on the back of a chair like she needs the anchor. Dad is walking slowly back and forth, and Jess has her arms folded, her eyes moving from one person to another.
Nick finally breaks the silence, stretching and cracking his shoulders.
"Well," he says, plopping onto the couch, "that was… cozy. I feel like we should've handed out scorecards at the door."
Savannah flops down beside him, tossing her hair back with a grin. "If we did, I'd give myself a ten out of ten for not choking on mashed potatoes when they started talking about 'alignment'."
Andrew leans against the wall and folds his arms across his chest, listening to Nick and Savannah's exchange.
Jess raises a brow. "You're telling me none of you felt like we were just drafted into a war nobody wanted?"
