Mayor Jim clears his throat. “So, the winner of the Best Chowder of the Year is…”
I glance at my mom. Her eyes are closed and she’s holding Terra’s hand on one side and Nova’s on the other. Mayor Jim pauses and clears his throat again before letting out a raspy chuckle. “Well, actually, the winner of the Best Chowder is also the winner of the Best New Seafood Dish, so do you guys just want me to make one announcement? I could do it separately, but I guess…well I just told you it’s the same—”
“SPIT IT OUT JIMBO!” Dad hollers from wherever he is in the room.
“Always so impatient, Charlie, geesh,” Mayor Jim sighs. “Why don’t you just get up here then because the winner of both competitions is Hawkins Lobster Shack!”
“Oh my God!” Chole is jumping up and down beside me. “You won both! You won both!”
The room is erupting in cheers, so I can barely hear her. The whole family is hugging and high-fiving each other like they won the Super Bowl, and I guess we kind of did. Our version of it anyway. Ma starts toward the stage, and we all follow. It’s tradition we all go up to get the ribbon because ever since we started winning here, Ma insists—family business, family success.
“Go!” Chloe insists, pushing me.
Declan grabs her hand. “You too. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
She looks like she might say no, but I pull her up with me because Declan is right. She earned this as much as any of us by giving her okay to use her recipe.
My dad is already up there with River when we get to the stage. He hands Ma her ribbons and gives the trophies to River, who is over the moon. I realize for the first time in a long time I’m enjoying the moment—being up here with the family in front of the town.
“Today has been so amazing!” Chloe says, beaming as I get off the stage and lag behind my family as we make our way toward the Hawkins’ booth again. “Your family, the festival, photographing stuff, being here with you. I love it!”
“And I love you,” I say as I wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her closer.
She leans up and kisses my cheek. “I love you too.”
I stop walking, turn to face her, take her face in my hands, and kiss her like no one’s watching even though I’m fairly certain everyone is.
“Dad! I got Moose Farts! Life is perfect!”
The kiss dissolves as we both break into laughter and look down to see River standing there, already wearing almost as much ice cream as he’s consumed. “You’re right, Bub,” I say as Chloe and I lock eyes again. “Life is perfect.”
