One brother’s girlfriend sits nervously at the corner seat, eager to get along with her man’s family. Laughing delightfully when a joke is made, speaking respectfully to the elders – that sort of thing. The other brother’s girlfriend is more natural. She makes good conversation and presents witty retorts to the patriarch’s good-natured but overly critical jibes. The couples are both of the age at which their parents engaged in the conception of their offspring.

The observer is temporarily removed from the moment. A meticulous catalog of each expression is recorded and dated in the available memory for future analysis and comparison. The beauty of a nervous smile and a tearful toast are noted.

(Pictured L to R: Grandmother Teresa, aunt Rosalba, aunt Chuy, great-grandmother Maria Isabel, great-grandfather Ricardo).