“Three orders of fruit salad, coming right up! Two orders of chicken adobo wings, coming right up!” She practically sings every order.

A group of regulars stops by to say hello and welcome her back after the health-related hiatus she took.

She pats my hand. “I was under strict orders from my daughter and my doctor to rest for a few days. But now I’m back and I’m ready to feed my folks. Now who’s ready for some lumpia?”

Soft cheers boom from the small crowd.

Every time she hands a customer their order, she beams. Not an ounce of hesitation is traceable in her cheery attitude. She’s a fitting balance to my nervous energy.

She taps my shoulder. “Isn’t this great? So many people want to try our food.” She looks up at a customer as he takes a bite of chicken wing. “How is it? Good?”

He nods, sauce smeared across his lips. “So, so good, Tiva. I already voted for you ladies online.”

She gives him a thumbs-up while I offer a soft “thank you.” The Maui Food Festival website has an active poll for attendees to vote on their favorite eateries. My hand itches to grab my phone out of the pocket of my jeans and check the results every five minutes. The Hungry Chaps truck is all the way on the opposite end of this row. I can’t see them, which means I can’t gauge how they’re doing. Checking the results as they come in would be an easy way to satisfy my curiosity.

Instead, I clench my fingers into a fist and resist. Obsessively checking the poll two hours into the festival will do nothing other than send my blood pressure to the mesosphere. We have the whole rest of the day left to work, and I can’t lose myself to distraction. My only goal for the next six hours is to cook the best dishes possible so every person that eats our food votes for us.

Penelope saunters up to the booth, her wide smile so bright it rivals the unrelenting sun beating above.

“Nikki! You’re kicking some serious ass!” She holds up her phone to me. “So many people are raving about your food on social media. They’re hashtagging Tiva’s left and right!”

Mom turns as soon as she hears her name, beaming when Penelope shows her all the photos of our food that people have been posting to Instagram and Twitter.

“You’re killing it, Tiva!” Penelope high-fives her before ordering a halo-halo. “It’s so hot and I’ve been craving this.”