Page 70 of Picking Daisies on Sundays

Sitting on my left, Jia was eating the blondies I made last night. While on my right, Josh was hogging the container.

“Josh,give them back,” Jia whispered with rage.

“You already had four!” Josh whispered back. Well, I don’t know if you could really call it whispering but—

“Because they were made for me!”Jia looked at me for back up.

“I can make you your own batch next week,” I said decisively to Josh. He rolled his eyes at Jia, who looked satisfied with her victory, sliding the container back over.

Usually, Josh would be seating guests or taking orders tonight, but the restaurant was so dead that he had the time to sit with us while we watched Gabe on his date. Rather than watching intently though, I was busy refreshing my emails.

Six days and no response from Lazaro about my application, not even a confirmation that they got my submission. It made me think more and more if Paris was the right option then. I had been accepted by the other grad schools I applied to, some only a train ride away. But all I could recall was last night’s conversation.

Paris was my dream for a long time, a dream that I hadn’t

revisited because it reminded me of what life was like with Dad. And being reminded of that meant being reminded of what life was without him. Those were two different lives, two different versions of myself. The Paris dream died when my life with Dad died.

“How many dates do you people go on?” Josh asked, looking at Gabe and his date.

“As many as it takes until I have a boyfriend,” Jia scowled.

“I haven’t seen Dani go on one of these dates in a while though,” Josh commented with speculation.

“Um, I—” I was saved by the buzzing of my phone ringing with Levi’s name on the screen.

“Hello?”

“Daisy!” Rhea shouted through the phone.

I laughed. “Rhea, does your brother know you’re on his phone?”

“Well…no. But he wouldn’t call you and ask for help, soI had to. I really had no choice.”

“Help with what exactly?”

“Bella can’t come to dance class tonight so now Levi doesn’t have a dance partner! Sarah is acting like a crazy person now, it’s scary. She said Bella always pulls this shit—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said in a rush before the nine-year-old could swear anymore. “So you need me to be Levi’s dance partner?”

“Yes!” Rhea shouted. But then I heard a voice in the background of the call.“Rhea is that my my phone?”Levi asked.“Who are you talking to?”

Jia stifles a laugh at the sound of Levi’s confused voice.

“Hello?” Levi’s voice came to the surface.

“It’s awfully rude to interrupt a phone call.”

“Dani?” he questioned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize she had my phone.”

“She’s more fun to talk to than most people, don’t apologize. Rhea said that you’re out a partner for dance class?”

He groaned. “Yeah, Sarah’s not happy about it. It’s the last dance rehearsal before the wedding next week so you can imagine how panicked she is.”

“I’m around…”

“Oh,oh, leave it to Rhea to fix a problem. I’m not going to bother you and involve you in more family drama—”

“Levi, I offered, so you’re not bothering me.”