20...

"He did not say he would not. He only meant that he wouldn't make it right in time before the party begins. That means he wouldn't come before your father, the celebrant," Agnes explained to her husband.

"He wouldn't come before the celebrant," he repeated and let out a low laugh.

"Why wouldn't he be able to come? Did he give you a justifiable reason, as to why he would not come or does he expect to wallow in his blatant lie without any reasonable excuse?"

"Ethan my boy," a familiar voice called from behind them.

He hesitated before turning to see the person.

"Hello, uncle."

"My only nephew, why are you so tensed up about the presence of my son? Whether he comes or not, that should not bother you, besides you and I know that you hate to see him," Marcus's dad said.

Agnes looked at her husband but after a little while, her eyes darted to the face of Mr. Arnold Moore, Marcus's father.

Ethan smiled faintly, "if you can explain to me what you just said, then it shall have a meaning to me.