Page 53 of Schooling Little Sage

“It’s a funny cookie and I’m gonna get one. What do you want?”

He was seriously going to walk around eating a winky on a stick cookie? There was even a heart drawn on the end of it.

“Um, I think I’ll get the rainbow square brownie one.” Daddy laughed when Devon ordered his cookie, but he got the same thing as me.

“These are on me, boys.” Daddy scanned his card and paid, then we walked down the street, popping in and out of shops. We bought a few things for ourselves and gifts for the family and Dempsey and his Daddy.

“Let’s head to Fisherman’s Wharf. We can have lunch there then tour the chocolate factory.” Devon pulled his phone out and ordered another car to pick us up.

“Whoa.” As we drove along I could see the water. “Is that the beach? I’ve never seen the beach before.”

“There are some beaches there, but these aren’t the good ones to go to,” Devon said. “That’s the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory I was telling you about. We can go now instead of getting lunch first if you want.”

“Lunch first,” Daddy said. “We’ve done a lot of walking, and I need to get something other than sugar in your bellies first. Looks like everything is here, what do you boys want?”

“Fish and chips!” I said a bit too excitedly cause our driver laughed.

“Most places here have that,” he said. “I’ll drop you off in the heart of Pier 39 where all the shops are.”

“Thank you,” Daddy told him. “It’s our first time here.”

“Not for me.” Devon grinned. “I live here. These are my friends. They came to spend Christmas with me.”

“That sounds wonderful. Alright, here we are. You guys have a great day.”

“Thank you,” we said and waved as he drove off.

“Maybe next year you can come and have Christmas with us at the Ranch,” Daddy said to Devon.

“Really?”

“Oh my gosh, that would be so much fun. We can make real snowmen and have fires and hot choco.” I was getting excited already. “Daddy bought us a tree and we put it up.” Devon had a small one in his apartment that sat on a table in front of the window.

“That sounds perfect. I’ll make sure and ask for the time off early before anyone else does.”

“Alright, my little chocolate freaks, let get some carbs in those bellies to walk off.” Daddy read the window menus in a couple of places before picking one for us. “In you go.”

Daddy talked to the lady at the podium then we followed her to an inside table that was next to the windows. It was too chilly to eat outside but I was glad we got a view of the water.

“It’s so pretty here, Daddy.”

“Pretty and expensive,” Devon added. “I don’t mind it so much, and I love the club I go to, but it does get lonely.”

“Where’s your family?”

“All over. We’ve never been close. It always felt like my parents had kids because they felt they had to.”

I knew that feeling all too well.

Devon added, “We swap the obligatory happy birthday or Merry Christmas texts, but that’s about it.”

“Well, we’re your family now,” Daddy said, “and sometimes found family is better than blood.”

Devon teared up. “Thank you, that means more than you know. Being a workaholic is better than basking in loneliness and how I climbed the corporate ladder as fast as I have. But as of late, even that’s getting old.” He shrugged and stared out the window. “Maybe it’s time for a change. I’m thirty-four, have lived in the same place for a decade, and my life has become Groundhog Day.”

“Probably a good time for self-reflection,” Daddy suggested. “Money isn’t everything. I was in a similar situation as you. Gave up a great paying job but I was miserable. Now, I’ve never been happier. We may not have a mansion, but our home is filled with love, and I’ve reconnected with my family through this wonderful boy beside me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved them, but we grew apart. I lived in the city and worked all the time, barely talked to them and now we talk near daily and when I don’t reach out, Sage does.”

I was learning so much about Devon and Daddy right now. They always worried about me and now it was my turn to take care of them. “How can I help? I give great hugs?”