The waiter offered a smile in return before turning her eyes toward me. I smiled. “Chocolate milk sounds good.”
Ilsa’s eyes widened, and she giggled. It was a rich sound that I never wanted to stop. “You can’t have chocolate milk. It’s for kids.”
“Is that what your mother told you?” I asked, tilting my head.
Ilsa nodded. “Yeah. Right, Mom?”
Jade smirked as she reached a hand out, moving some of Ilsa’s hair. “It just means he’s a child too, Ilsa,” she teased, her smirk growing.
Ilsa started to laugh, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off them. Ilsa was so bubbly, so full of life. I never wanted that to change. Jade had done an amazing job with her, better than anyone else I could see.
I looked at his soft Jade was with Ilsa. She was like another version of someone. She always smiled, always looked so happy. I could see just how much she loved her, and I so desperately wanted that. I wanted her to look at me with the same eyes, with that soft, turned smile.
A moment later, the glasses were set down. “Do you guys know what you want to eat?”
Ilsa looked at the menu with wide eyes, and I shook my head at the waiter. “Not yet, give us a few minutes, please.”
“Of course.”
Jade leaned closer to Ilsa. “How do fish fingers sound?”
Ilsa scrunched up her nose, making a disgusted look. “I don’t want to eat fish fingers.”
I chuckled at her cuteness, and Jade smiled. “They aren’t fishes fingers, Ilsa. Do you have chicken tenders instead?”
Ilsa nodded. “Yeah, chicken…tenders.”
Ilsa looked at her chocolate milk and then looked at my glass. She snuck a peek at me before looking back at her glass. I watched her reach for it, taking a large gulp of the milk. I reached for my glass at the same time, matching each of her movements.
Ilsa giggled as I set my glass back down.
“Is it good?” I asked.
Ilsa nodded her head. “It’s good.”
Jade looked at her menu, scanning the pages. I glanced down at mine, seeing that they served most of the same food as before, which told me it was good.
“I’m going to have fish fingers,” I said casually. I glanced at Ilsa, whose eyes widened in horror. She scrunched up her nose. “Eww.”
I cackled, and Jade tried to suppress her laugh. Ilsa looked at her mother. “What are you going to eat?”
Jade continued to look at her menu. “I think I’m going to have the salmon. Do you want to try some of it when I get it?”
Ilsa chewed on her lower lip, seeming unsure. “Is it fish fingers?”
Jade shook her head, that smile still on her lips. “It isn’t, but you don’t have to try it if you don’t want to.”
“Fish fingers are good,” I told Ilsa.
Her nose scrunched up again as she shook her head, sticking her tongue out. “Ew…”
We joked around for a while longer before placing our order. We decided to take a small walk over toward the river while we waited for the food. We took in the river, and Ilsa stuck her hand under the water. I watched as Jade sat down next to her, running her fingers through her hair.
“Brandon, come feel the water.”
I felt my heart jerk at her saying my name. I walked over and bent down, dipping my hand into the water. I watched as some fish swam down the river, swimming close to our hands.
We stayed by the water for a few more minutes before getting back to our table. Everyone got their food, and Ilsa staredat my plate with confusion. She tilted her head. “Where’s the fingers?”
