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I hadn’t quite realized we’d be this far removed from civilization, but I’d rather be somewhere without a Starbucks than be back in LA where everyone is surely dissecting the tragedy of my life. I don’t know why, but when a famous couple goes through a divorce, everyone treats the woman like she’s some sort of Victorian flower that will fall apart with the least provocation. Then they do everything they can to provoke her so they can document it for public consumption. That’s why not being there is the only answer for keeping my sanity.
It takes me three tries to get the ignition on the truck to turn over. When it does, I pull out and drive the four miles into town.
“I like it here,” Lily says. “Everything is so green and pretty.”
Liam offers, “Our lungs are going to clear out, for sure. We breathe in too much smog at home.” My little old man.
We’re only the third car to park in the lot next to a quaint—and delightfully empty—diner. At first, I worry that the lack of customers might be a bad sign, but then I remember it’s too late for breakfast and too early for lunch. In a booth near the front window, three boys that look so alike that they must be brothers, sit squeezed onto one bench, huddled over an iPad.
A very pretty young woman in jeans and a tee looks up from the cash register. “Morning!” she calls out. “Sit anywhere you want, and I’ll be right with you.”
The kids run across the room and sit at a booth in the back corner. “Do you think they have crayons here?” Lily asks.
I reach into my purse and hand her the emergency pack I keep on hand.
As soon as we’re settled, the woman starts our way, while calling to the boys, “Okay, you three. That’s enough screens. Get outside and play.”
I wait for the arguing to start, but incredibly, the kids do what they’re told. The tallest one hands the iPad to her while the other two hang out near the front door. Lily and Liam both wear matching intrigued faces. They’re clearly interested in making some friends.
The woman ruffles the boy’s hair. “Stay in the park and keep an eye on your brothers.”
“Yes, Mom,” he tells her before glancing in our direction. His eyes land on a pack of Pokémon cards that Liam has set out on the table. “You like Pokémon?”
“Yeah, I’m really into it. You?” Liam asks.
“Totally,” he says, pulling a stack out of his pocket. “If you have time after you eat, we’ll be across the street. There aren’t a lot of kids to trade with around here.”
Liam’s eyes light up and he looks at me. “Can I go, Mom?”
I glance across the street and see that I’ll have a good view of the park from here. “Sure, but only if you bring your sister.”
“Cool,” the boy says. “See you in a bit. Get the pancakes. They’re the best in the world.”
“That was Wyatt, my eldest,” the lovely lady tells me. “And I’m Moira. Can I start you three out with some coffee?”
Lily giggles while Liam tells her, “Thank you, but we’re too young for coffee.”
Giving him a half grin, she says, “How about some orange juice then?”
“Yes, please,” he says.
“Me too, please,” Lily adds.
Smiling up at her, I say, “I’ll have coffee and juice. Evie told us you were the best place in town to get breakfast at this hour. I think we already know what we want.”
Once we’re done ordering, Moira walks away to get our drinks. When she comes back, she puts them on the table. “So, you’re staying up at the lodge, huh? My family owns that place.”
“Really? So, Digger is your …”Husband, brother, cousin?
“That goofball is my brother.”
Lily covers her mouth while she laughs. “Goofball!”
“Him and his silly dog Moose. Who names an animal after another animal?” she asks Liam, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.
Liam’s stomach growls and Moira’s eyes pop open. “My goodness. You’re as hungry as a bear in the springtime!”
“That’s what Grandpa Jack said to me yesterday,” Lily tells her.
