The waitress was about the same age as their driver, with a short haircut and smiling brown eyes. She came up to Becky and placed a large, round tray of food on the table. “Hi. My name is Molly.”

“Hi,” Becky responded shyly.

“What’s your name?”

“Becky Lloyd.”

“How do you do, Becky. Is this your sister?”

“I’m Lori,” Lori responded, beaming.

The waitress stuck out her hand. “Hi, I’m Molly. You like hamburgers?”

Both girls nodded quickly.

“Have you ever had an ice cream soda?”

Stephanie laughed. “Even I haven’t had one of those since I was tiny.”

“Would you like one too?” Molly asked. “I didn’t think about that.”

“Yes, I would,” Stephanie replied, a bit embarrassed, but eager nevertheless.

Molly lifted two frosty glasses off the tray and set them in front of Lori and Becky. “Now normally you would have to wait to have your sodas until after you’ve eaten your dinner. But since you’ve never had one, maybe we could let you snitch just one taste. Is that okay, Mother?”

Madeline smiled and nodded.

“Be careful,” Molly said, sticking a straw in each glass. “It’ll tickle your nose.”

“What’s that, Mama?” Lori asked, pointing.

“That’s a straw, honey,” Madeline answered, suddenly realizing how many things had been lost to her children.

“Remember when Eric showed you how to blow bubbles with a reed?” Stephanie said. “It’s just like that, only you have to suck on it.”

Becky took a quick sip, her cheeks sucking inward. As the carbonated liquid hit her mouth, she grimaced and gave a quick shudder. “Ummmmm,” she said, “that’s good.”

Molly laughed with delight at the contradiction between Becky’s words and expression.

“Oh, Mama,” Lori cried, “that is good.”

“Well,” Molly said, “I’m a success. How does a breaded veal cutlet sound to you, Mrs. Lloyd, and…”

“Stephanie.”

“Stephanie. Does that sound okay?”

“Delicious.”

They were nearly through eating when suddenly Stephanie grabbed Madeline’s arm. “Look, Mother, it’s Travis.”

A sudden hush fell over the dining room as every eye turned to the figure in orange and blue and followed it as it moved to the platform at the front of the room. The Lloyds were sitting near the rear of the dining hall, but even from that distance it was obvious that Travis Oakes was very nervous. He shuffled, then reshuffled some notes in his hand, then looked up, cleared his throat, and plunged in.