Mom leans closer to the laptop screen and squints. “A violation of the rules? What are they talking about?”

I shift the mouthpiece of the phone away from me. “I’ll explain in a minute,” I whisper.

“Ignore the Flavor Network’s post,” Penelope says. “Chic just tagged you in something. Be sure to read the whole caption.”

I go to Chic TV’s Instagram account and see their latest post: a photo of our food truck.

“Oh wow! That’s us!” Mom says before I read the caption:

We here at @ChicTV had a great time at the Maui Food Festival! Maui, you’ve got some seriously delicious eateries! Congrats to @Tivas for kicking major a$$ and winning the grand prize! Sadly @theFlavorNetwork has gone back on its promise to deliver prize money to the winner for a second year in a row (something’s #fishy about that, #amirite?). But @ChicTV would love to deliver where @theFlavorNetwork has fallen short. @Tivas, we’ll give you your rightful prize money if you promise to shoot a commercial for our network this fall. What do you say?

A sharp intake of breath is all I have as a response. My head spins at how Penelope has flipped our course completely for the better.

“I just got off the phone with the food division at Chic TV a half hour ago, and everything is official. Someone from the contracts department will email you soon with all the details. The ball is officially rolling on this, so you don’t have to worry.”

I can’t speak. All I do is breathlessly stutter.

“Shoot, are you okay?” Penelope asks.

“It’s just . . . Penelope, how did you do this? Why did you do this?”

“Because it’s my job. And because you’re my friend.”

This time when my eyes water, it’s not because I’m angry or heartbroken. It’s because I’m overwhelmed with joy that someone as kind and successful as Penelope would even consider me their friend.

The word “friend” settles somewhere deep inside my chest.

“Look, I know I came off like a weird fangirl when we met at the farmer’s market,” Penelope says. “You’re an amazing cook and run the best food truck on the island. Everyone in the Maui food scene was blown away by you, myself included.” She pauses for a breath. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but my friends are important to me. Whenever I can do something for them, I try. And that’s what I’m doing now. Trying to be a good friend.”

At her words, I crack my first smile of the day.

“I know it’s hard making friends when you move to a new place,” she says. “I’m so happy I found you here in Maui.”