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“I’ll order one too,” I said and when the server came over, we all ordered Shirley Temples with extra lime and an antipasto plate as an appetizer.
Our drinks came, and we all toasted each other. Riley took a picture of me sipping my drink and making a silly face.
One of the unwritten rules of my job was that I was required to be part of their social media whether I wanted to be or not. Sometimes that meant doing silly dances with them, and sometimes that meant participating in some ridiculous challenge. I tried to be a good sport about it.
Riley sent me the picture and I went ahead and forwarded it to Honor because the lighting was working for me and I looked cute.
Mission accomplished. Parents on boat. Out to dinner with the kids.
She responded a few minutes later with a selfie of her own.
Drinking on my porch with my sister. Not as glamorous, she sent, holding up a glass as the setting sun lit up her face.
She was so pretty it was painful to look at her. How could one person be so gorgeous?
Tell Lark I said hello, I responded.
She says hello and that she’s looking forward to meeting you tomorrow. I’ve told her she’s not supposed to grill you, but she’s not making any promises, she sent.
“Who are you talking to?” Riley asked as our appetizer arrived on a wooden plank that sat in the center of the table.
“Beeswax,” I said, reaching for a slice of bread to dip it in some olive oil. Riley and Zoey and I had our own little language that we’d built over so many years together. When someone said “beeswax” it meant “none of your business, drop it.”
“You’re hiding stuff from us,” Riley said, pouting. Zoey looked at her and then started pouting too.
“I’m allowed to have a life that doesn’t involve you. That’s what’s cool about being an adult. I can do what I want.”
Their eyes narrowed, obviously not liking that answer.
“Someday you can have your own secrets,” I said.
“We have secrets,” Riley protested.
“When you get older, the secrets get better. Trust me,” I said. “Are you going to eat?”
“Do they have mozzarella sticks?” Zoey asked.
“No, they don’t, but this is some nice cheese right there, and some olives and some meat. I can’t remember what kind of meat, but it’s kind of like pepperoni, I think.”
The twins perked up at the idea of cheese and pepperoni and olives and soon they were devouring even the peppers and asking if I could make this for them at home.
“I don’t think I can make it as nice as this, but we can do some research and then try it,” I said. “I’m sure there’s a video we can watch.”
One of the great things about the internet was that if you wanted to learn how to do something, there were plenty of people who had made a video on how to do it.
“I’ll introduce you to Martha Stewart,” I said.
“Who?” Riley asked, shoving a piece of cheese into her mouth.
“You’ll see,” I said.
* * *
Dinner was absolutely delicious,if expensive, but I paid the bill and I could ask Mark and Sadie to reimburse me.
As we were leaving the restaurant, Sadie sent a message to me and the kids via the family group chat.
Coming back soon, had a lovely time. Saw a dolphin family!
