Torero’s, our favorite Mexican restaurant in Burbank. While we waited for our food to arrive, Daniel wolfed down tortilla chips. I worried he would spoil his appetite. Nope. When our Huevos Rancheros arrived, Daniel wolfed that down too.
“Can we get ice cream now?”
“Maybe you should have some more tortilla chips.”
“I want ice cream.”
“Okay. But can I finish eating first?”
“Sure. Can I play Candy Crush?”
“Not while we’re eating.”
He rolled his eyes. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Talk to your mom, silly. Tell me about Europe. What was your favorite thing?”
He looked out the window thoughtfully. Then his eyes lit up. “Did you know they have a real Harry Potter castle in France? I saw it at France Miniature.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. It’s called Mount Saint Mitchell. It’s on a lake and everything.”
“Oh! You mean Mont Saint Michel .” I took French in high school and knew exactly what he was talking about.
“Yeah that.” His eyes glimmered. “And there was this place called Asterix Park. They have this roller coaster and you can see Zeus’ underwear!”
“What do you mean?”
“You know Zeus? From Greek mythology? He has a roller coaster at Asterix Park. He’s all green and he’s really tall and he’s throwing a lightning bolt at you but you can see up his dress.” He was very excited.
“Zeus wears a dress?”
“Yeah! And under it you can see his underwear!”
“You can?” I tried to imagine it.
“Yeah! They’re whitey tighties!” Daniel laughed like it was the funniest thing ever.
“Wow. Did you take pictures?”
He shrugged. “Ask Grandma.”
It hurt that he’d had all this fun with his dad and his grandparents and I missed all of it. The idea nearly brought me to tears. At least he was happy. I set my utensils down and wiped my hands on my napkin.
“Ready for ice cream?”
“Yeah!”
We drove to the Baskin Robbins nearby. It was in a strip mall. A huge crowd of people were gathered outside the entrance of one of the other stores a few doors down. There were streamers tied to the roof, lots of balloons, and a big GRAND OPENING sign.
“What’s that?” Daniel asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Can we go see?”
“Sure. But don’t you want your ice cream first?”
“Oh yeah.”
We bought ice cream cones and took them outside to see what the commotion was. Music pumped inside and the people cheered and clapped loudly. The people standing outside crowded around the windows, watching. Daniel looked between their arms and elbows, trying to see.
“It’s a karate class, Mom!”
Inside, a bunch of kids and teenagers wearing martial arts uniforms were lined up along the walls while more kids did kicks and punches in unison in the middle of the large space. Blue mats covered the floor from wall to wall. I didn’t know much about martial arts, but it looked like they were doing some kind of show. We watched for a while. Daniel was fascinated.
“Mom, can I take karate?”
“Maybe.”
“Please, Mom, please?”
“We’ll have to talk to your dad.”
“If he says yes, can I?”
“I don’t know, Daniel. Aren’t you busy with soccer?”
“This is different!”
“We should probably go. It’s getting late.” I didn’t know what it was, but something about this situation made me nervous.
“But they’re still going. Can’t we stay and watch?”
“Fine,” I sighed. “But just for a few minutes.”
Daniel had never been this excited about soccer. We had to practically drag him to practice. If it wasn’t for soccer, I don’t think he would’ve exercised. Just played video games all day. Why did he have to pick fighting as his sport?
Inside, whoever was running things was describing the action on a microphone while high energy music played. Some of the older kids did a routine with metal swords that had sashes on the hilts. They were swinging them at each other so fast and so close, I was worried someone might
“Can we get ice cream now?”
“Maybe you should have some more tortilla chips.”
“I want ice cream.”
“Okay. But can I finish eating first?”
“Sure. Can I play Candy Crush?”
“Not while we’re eating.”
He rolled his eyes. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Talk to your mom, silly. Tell me about Europe. What was your favorite thing?”
He looked out the window thoughtfully. Then his eyes lit up. “Did you know they have a real Harry Potter castle in France? I saw it at France Miniature.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. It’s called Mount Saint Mitchell. It’s on a lake and everything.”
“Oh! You mean Mont Saint Michel .” I took French in high school and knew exactly what he was talking about.
“Yeah that.” His eyes glimmered. “And there was this place called Asterix Park. They have this roller coaster and you can see Zeus’ underwear!”
“What do you mean?”
“You know Zeus? From Greek mythology? He has a roller coaster at Asterix Park. He’s all green and he’s really tall and he’s throwing a lightning bolt at you but you can see up his dress.” He was very excited.
“Zeus wears a dress?”
“Yeah! And under it you can see his underwear!”
“You can?” I tried to imagine it.
“Yeah! They’re whitey tighties!” Daniel laughed like it was the funniest thing ever.
“Wow. Did you take pictures?”
He shrugged. “Ask Grandma.”
It hurt that he’d had all this fun with his dad and his grandparents and I missed all of it. The idea nearly brought me to tears. At least he was happy. I set my utensils down and wiped my hands on my napkin.
“Ready for ice cream?”
“Yeah!”
We drove to the Baskin Robbins nearby. It was in a strip mall. A huge crowd of people were gathered outside the entrance of one of the other stores a few doors down. There were streamers tied to the roof, lots of balloons, and a big GRAND OPENING sign.
“What’s that?” Daniel asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Can we go see?”
“Sure. But don’t you want your ice cream first?”
“Oh yeah.”
We bought ice cream cones and took them outside to see what the commotion was. Music pumped inside and the people cheered and clapped loudly. The people standing outside crowded around the windows, watching. Daniel looked between their arms and elbows, trying to see.
“It’s a karate class, Mom!”
Inside, a bunch of kids and teenagers wearing martial arts uniforms were lined up along the walls while more kids did kicks and punches in unison in the middle of the large space. Blue mats covered the floor from wall to wall. I didn’t know much about martial arts, but it looked like they were doing some kind of show. We watched for a while. Daniel was fascinated.
“Mom, can I take karate?”
“Maybe.”
“Please, Mom, please?”
“We’ll have to talk to your dad.”
“If he says yes, can I?”
“I don’t know, Daniel. Aren’t you busy with soccer?”
“This is different!”
“We should probably go. It’s getting late.” I didn’t know what it was, but something about this situation made me nervous.
“But they’re still going. Can’t we stay and watch?”
“Fine,” I sighed. “But just for a few minutes.”
Daniel had never been this excited about soccer. We had to practically drag him to practice. If it wasn’t for soccer, I don’t think he would’ve exercised. Just played video games all day. Why did he have to pick fighting as his sport?
Inside, whoever was running things was describing the action on a microphone while high energy music played. Some of the older kids did a routine with metal swords that had sashes on the hilts. They were swinging them at each other so fast and so close, I was worried someone might
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