Milena brought Nikola to her father's birthday with a warning that her family was warm in a way that sometimes required recovery afterward. They had been dating for three months. She was thirty-two, had her own apartment, and did not want to explain her schedule to relatives. Nikola thought she was exaggerating until her aunt asked whether he preferred large weddings or small ones.
Milena changed the subject. Her mother interpreted this as shy agreement. A cake with two extra hearts was already waiting in the kitchen, and her father was preparing a slideshow of family photographs. Among pictures of seaside holidays and celebrations, he had secretly added a slide announcing the future bride and groom.
The plan was not born of malice. Her parents truly loved their daughter and truly believed they were helping. That did not make their decision any smaller. Milena's mother had already spoken to a restaurant owner and sent photographs of reception rooms to a cousin. Whenever Milena said she was planning nothing, her mother replied that everyone said that until things got moving.
After dinner, her father dimmed the room. Photographs passed amid laughter. Then he paused, raised his glass, and announced special news. Milena understood what was coming from his tone. Before she could stand, an image of a wedding-venue quote appeared on the wall with her mother's comment: "If we announce it in front of everyone, saying no won't mean disappointing only us."
The guest count appeared at the bottom of the document too. Milena recognized people she had not seen for years, while her best friend was missing from the list. Nikola tried to stand, but his chair caught on the rug. Its small scraping sound was all anyone could hear as her mother pressed the remote control in vain.
Her mother had opened the wrong document. No one laughed. Nikola set down his glass, and Milena walked to the projector and switched on the light. She said there was no engagement and that she was sorry her relatives were finding out this way.
Her father tried to explain that it had all been a joke. Milena asked him not to make her into someone without a sense of humor because she did not want someone else's timetable for her life. Her mother cried. Milena did not withdraw her words to stop the tears.
Nikola drove her home. In the car, he admitted that he liked her but did not even know whether he would be living in this city the following year. It was their first serious conversation about their relationship. It did not sound romantic. It was far more useful than the cake.
A week later, her parents came for coffee without catalogs or relatives. They apologized. Milena accepted, then asked them to speak to her first next time. Her father looked at the dark television and said he had not brought a presentation this time.