Slice of Life: An Orange Swirl Cone with a Candle

    Anyone is welcome to join us through Two Writing Teachers, slicing, sharing, and commenting on other slices! 

  

Sunday night was a grand finale for many of the family members. We have an existence that I will never, ever take for granted because my husband's parents left a house to us and his brother's family that is on the Rhode Island coast. It's a magical place, a place of memories, of joy, of togetherness. 

Since three of our four daughters were leaving on Monday, we all went for ice cream on Sunday night. All twelve of us. My nephews, my four daughters, the two friends who were visiting, my brother and sister-in-law, my husband. We stood in line, and we debated our cones of choice. Not surprisingly, everyone except Larkin's boyfriend opted for the orange and vanilla swirl. If you're ever in Watch Hill at the St Clare Annex, you should try it.     

The line grew behind us as the ice cream barista doled out cone after cone. The line grew even longer when the machine sputtered and had to be refilled. As I watched all of my family members receive their cone, I grew a little cross. Why weren't any of the kids or guests passing a cone my way before they dug in? How dare my husband lick away at his cone without chivalrously passing one to me first? And how could the final cone be taking so long? At least we'd timed our arrival ahead of the VERY long line that had now formed. 

"This is testing my patience," I said to Larkin. 

I failed to notice her giggle. I failed to notice her elbow her sister. I failed to notice more giggles. And I failed to think about the fact that the day before had been my birthday and because of another slice-worthy situation, I hadn't gotten any candles to blow out. 

All of a sudden an overfilled cone came my way with a candle. Did I mention I was there with the ENTIRE family? They all began singing, and guess what? So did that entire line! Somehow, they all even knew my name. I am NOT one to enjoy this sort of spotlight, but there was nothing to do except go along with it. I did. I smiled, and I basked in the joy of my family, an August birthday, and an orange swirl cone with a candle on it.