“What did they do?”
“Same old stuff. One of the dishwashers skipped a couple of shifts, and one of the waiters was letting his friends eat for free. You know how it goes. But it’s still hard on your father. He wants to trust everyone, and he’s always disappointed when people let him down. It wears on him. When he got home today, he took a nap instead of taking Copo out for a walk.”
“Maybe he needs to see a doctor.”
“That’s what we were talking about when you came in.”
“What does he say?”
“He says he’ll go. But you know him. Unless I make the appointment, he’ll never get around to it.”
“Do you want me to call for you?”
“Would you mind?”
“Of course not,” Maria answered. Because of her mom’s language skills, she’d been making appointments ever since she was a young girl. “It’s still Dr. Clark, right?”
Her mom nodded. “And schedule him for a full physical if you can.”
“He’s not going to like that.”
“No, but he needs one. It’s been almost three years.”
“He shouldn’t wait that long. He’s got high blood pressure. And last year, he had those chest pains and he couldn’t work for a week.”
“I know, and you know, but he’s stubborn and he insists his heart is fine. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.” Her mom reached over and opened the oven; satisfied, she put on an oven mitt and pulled out the casserole dish before beginning to load up a plate for Maria.
“That’s plenty,” she said, trying to limit the quantity.
“You need to eat,” her mom insisted, continuing to pile food on the plate while Maria retrieved some utensils. “Let’s go sit with your father.”
Outside at the table, a citronella candle was burning to keep the mosquitoes at bay. The night was as perfect as her dad had promised, with only the slightest breeze and a sky embroidered with stars. Copo sat in her father’s lap, snoring slightly while his hand moved rhythmically through her fur. Maria began to cut a hunk of the pot roast into smaller pieces.
“I heard what happened today,” Maria started, initiating a stream of conversation encompassing the restaurant, local news, and the latest family gossip. In an extended family like theirs, there was always some kind of drama worth talking about and dissecting. By the time Maria had finished dinner – no more than a quarter of the plate – the crickets had begun their evening melody.
“You look like you got some sun last weekend.”
“I went paddleboarding after we had brunch.”
“With your new friend?” her mom inquired. “The one from the pier?”
At Maria’s startled expression, her mom shrugged. “I heard you and Serena talking. Your sister can be kind of loud sometimes.”
Serena strikes again, Maria thought. She hadn’t wanted to bring it up, but she couldn’t deny it now, could she? Even her father appeared to have a sudden heightened interest in the conversation.
“His name’s Colin.” Then, knowing her parents would press for more but not wanting them to delve too deeply, she went on. “Serena knows him from her classes, and when she and I had dinner on Saturday, Colin was tending bar there. We got to talking at the pier and decided to meet up on Sunday.”
“He’s in college? How old is he?”
“He’s my age. He didn’t start college until a couple of years ago. He wants to become a teacher.”
“Serena said he was very handsome,” her mother commented with a mischievous smile.
Thanks, Serena. Next time, lower your voice. “He is.”
“And you had a good time?”
“It was a lot of fun.”
“When can we meet him?”
“Don’t you think it’s a little early for that?” Maria said.
“It depends. Are you going out again?”
“Uh, yes… on Saturday.”