The hesitation had seemed reasonable before, and was entirely understandable when Robert requested for the other two to be first. It was even comprehensible even when Mimsy initially assumed that he was attempting to save the best for last, but delaying it at this point was beginning to seem like an uncomfortably poor decision.
"No, Robert.
Today," she insisted, brow knit with a faint sense of (generally) objective concern. "Suppose that Shu or Camille happens to reference their invitation before we speak to him, or mentions it by chance at a later date, even after we have asked. Do not mistakenly provide the impression that his attendance is not of significant importance to both of us, and to you especially so. I absolutely refuse to allow any circumstance to occur within our control where he may seem to be an afterthought, and I
know that you would wish to avoid the same. He already knows that you care about him immensely - do not create fictional reasons for him to doubt that. Trust that he would inform you if this would be too harmful to him, and allow
him to trust that you have thoroughly considered his well-being. Trust that he would notify you of a need to be alone, but do not force him to be. That isn't what you do.
You prove that someone never has to be alone again, remember? I recall this quite clearly. Do you need to be reminded?"
Regardless of his reply, he was going to be anyway. She curled her hand around a portion of the hand he'd raised as she stretched up to kiss his cheek, smiled encouragingly as she pulled away, then urged his hand forward to make him knock. Twice.
