Happy Birthday, Indeed

A

Spinach and mushroom with vinaigrette

fter eating a salad new to me—spinach with mushrooms and some dark-barbeque-Vinaigrette, I looked at the hot, delicious fondue on the table and felt happy.

The first course of fondue was melted cheese in wine. We dipped cut apples, bread, and vegetables.  I noticed that Paul and his kids did not touch the third cup consisting of cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli.  That was okay.  I ate it all.

The next course was the meat—steak, shrimp, and chicken.  We wondered, we come here to cook our own food?  We (I, soul mate-Paul, and his children) all laughed about it.  The last course was the sweetest of all—melted chocolate for dip with brownies, Rice Crispies, cake, and strawberries.  We did not leave one piece.

I walked back and forth to the bathroom twice during dinner enjoying the scene.  I passed by the decorative walls with different colored lights in the water.  How did they make that?

I could smell the melted cheese with wine more in the hallway. I love this restaurant, The Melting Pot--with its bright and happy, colorful lights—blue, green, red, yellow, and purple. The first time Paul took me to this place was when I was so distraught about my kids. I felt so depressed and in tears talking to him about them.  That was not that long ago.

The Melting Pot Restaurant. The blue is a water-filled tank/wall with decorative lights.

We strolled the downtown Littleton after dinner.  I almost said no when Paul asked to walk around.  It was about eight in the evening, around fifty degrees.  I do not have much insulation in my body being on the skinny side and I was too lazy to go back to the van only to come out again and walk outside in the cool breeze.  I was wearing my green, sleeveless dress.  However, I changed my mind and said "yes" about walking because I wanted to spend more time with him before I head back to the house where my not-so-happy teens were waiting (maybe).

Strolling on the sidewalk, however dark, we saw many greenish figures in the distance.

“What are those?” we wondered.

As we came closer, it became clearer.  Those were a bunch of people dressed in elves costumes with hats and green outfit matching.  

“How funny.”  Then he looked at me from head to foot.  “Your outfit can easily match theirs, Carin,“he said with a grin.

“Hey.  You’re not trying to say I look like an elf, do you?”

He laughed.  His children laughed.  I laughed.

The birthday-young-man and I

Eventually, we headed back to the restaurant parking lot and said goodbye.  I had to go back to my teens.  He had to drive back north with his children. 

As I kissed him goodbye, I could see the glint in his eyes.  I made him happy.

“Happy birthday, honey.  Good bye.”

“Thank you.  See you tomorrow.”

I hopped in the van, played the radio, and thought about my teens. If only they have been good, we would have celebrated this day all together (and the past Thanksgiving, other parties, and holidays).

I looked back at Paul and his kids as they walked away towards their car.  Such a nice man.  Such good kids.  

I got back home.  My teens had their eyes on the television set.  Velvet and Snowball got up from their laps and greeted me.  Velvet, especially, sniffed my dress and legs for a long time.  I think she liked the aroma stuck on me from the restaurant.  

That was my welcome back home.

As far as my kids, well, my son approached me after ten minutes asking to enable the Wi-Fi for his phone.

“You refused to do the chore I assigned to you this morning.  You just left home and ignored me.”

He walked away not saying a word.  

I guess that was my “goodnight.”

Later, I checked them both and they were both in their rooms.

It was a “good enough” day.  No, actually, compared to the worse days I had recently, like when my daughter sneaked out of her room through her bedroom window late at night, yesterday was a great day.

The green dress Paul said matches with the elves.'  Maybe I should have worn my elf hat with it.