When they had enough pictures, the family waited in the living room for their last member. Marie was back on her magazine and Father checked through the photos in his camera. Mother, however, sat staring at the stairs.
As the seconds ticked by, Mother grew increasingly impatient. The tapping of her fingers on her chair arm grew increasingly agitated. When Carrie was finally, finally down, Mother barked, "You're late! No pictures for you!"
Father took a quick one anyway.
The Billings family piled into Father's silver sports sedan. It was the first time Gloria remembered riding in her Father's car.
Despite the powerful roar of the car's engine, Gloria felt safe seated in the back seat sandwiched between Marie and Second Sis. She was confident of Father's driving and she was with family.
She did not have to worry about her kidnapper. Detective Larioza had called earlier in the week to inform the family that that creep Mark Zamback had been apprehended in a neighboring state. She could breath easier. Not that she had any worry before.
Father brought his family to Jean Sheppard's. The restaurant had been Mother's choice. Of course she had chosen the place for the dessert.
Paul the head waiter was there to welcome the family. He winked at Gloria, who trailed behind her family. Gloria smiled back.
A waiter escorted them to their reserved table. Father helped Mother into her seat while the waiter helped the girls in an order according to their age, starting with Marie.
Dinner was a polite affair. The usually chatty blonds were more subdued, with their words flowing out in moderated bursts. It was probably the setting. It could be the dim lighting with the pianist playing a slow melody. Or it could be the civilized eating style that required the gracious cutting of food into tiny portions and the chewing of each portion thoroughly.
Or it could be the very unlikely reason that they were just considerate enough to keep the noise down for the other customers of the restaurant.
Second Sis, Mother, considerate? Nah.
"I don't think we should order wine this time, dear," Mother said as she paged through the dessert menu looking for her favorite treat.
"Okay," Father agreed. He was probably happy that they would save some money.
"We shouldn't tempt the girls with a life of alcoholism," Mother added, "After all, one of them has already drunk herself out cold once."
"It wasn't my fault!" Gloria blurted out in protest. Then she winced when she realized that she had said it loud enough for the next table to hear.
"Are we ready to order dessert?" Father asked, diplomatically changing the subject.
As they waited for dessert to be served, the family took the opportunity to take a few pictures. The waiter was very helpful with a few of the family shots. They stopped when the nearby table complained about the camera flashes. Sudden bright lights were blinding in a dim environment after all.
As expected, Mother had ordered Sheppard's Special Chocolate Surprise. And unsurprisingly, Second Sis wanted one of her own. Father and the other girls opted for modest desserts. Such sweet works of art deserved to be captured in photos. A few quick photos were taken before the neighbors could complain.
After the bill had been paid, it was time for the journey home. But before that, they had a few quick photos outside on the sidewalk with the restaurant as the background. It was something to pass the time while waiting for the valet to drive the car from the parking lot.
The car ride home was uneventful. Mother and Carrie were quiet as the family enjoyed music on the radio. From her seat, Gloria could see the night scene outside brightened by street lamps and lit windows. Traffic was smooth.
"Bathroom's mine," Second Sis claimed once they were home. She was the first up the stairs, followed by her parents.
"Let's go to my room and upload the photos from my camera," Marie suggested to Gloria.
"Okay," Gloria agreed.
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