In it, she ordered the Kerney clan to arrive on Friday afternoon and stay as her guests over the weekend. Regrets would not be acceptable and costumes at the party were required, including masks. And no, Matt and Kevin couldn’t come as cowboys; that would be cheating. The invitation delighted Mary. Erma was her oldest and dearest friend, and now that she was back from the Art Institute of Chicago with an MFA in studio art and teaching at the college, they stayed in touch much more frequently. When Matt came home she showed him the invitation and said that they were going, no quibbling and no questions asked. His only grumble about it was trying to think of a costume he could stand to wear. “How about going as a pirate?” Mary suggested. Matt laughed. “Why didn’t I think of that?” Matt made arrangements to take off work early the Friday before the party, and on Thursday night Mary packed what they needed for the weekend so they could leave for Las Cruces as soon as school let out.
