“I’ll see what I can do,” the chef replied, smiling amusedly as she
walked back to the kitchen with their brunch orders.

Alice sat chewing her fingernails as everyone else now looked at her,
both amused and somewhat disgusted by her most recent craving.

“What?” Al asked out loud, innocently not getting why everyone was so
puzzled by what she just said.

****

While they waited, the family busied themselves with mundane activities
until their food arrived. Bette and Tina buried their faces in sections
of the Sunday Times, reading quietly, while Howie resorted to Alice’s
Bryan Adams CD on his cd player, listening loudly. Alice and Dana had
gone out to the courtyard with their coffee to talk. Carmen sat by the
coffee bar reading a music magazine, waiting for her Caramel Latte,
when Shane walked up beside her stool.

“I, um, never …got to say thanks. So …thanks.” Shane said
tentatively, unsure how much she could let herself say to Carmen. But
when she looked Carmen in the eyes, there was nothing but acceptance
and longing in them. Shane could feel herself drowning in the emotion
that filled Carmen’s eyes and yet it was a feeling that made her feel
safe and wanted.

“Oh, it was nothing. Besides, I wanted to.” Carmen said, putting the
magazine down as she spoke, trying to alleviate the uncertainty in the
other girl’s words, she placed one hand on top of Shane’s which was
resting on the bar. She flashed the hairdresser a toothy grin and
couldn’t help but feel thrilled at seeing her slowly form a grin back.
Shane looked down at Carmen’s hands and turned hers upwards so she
could hold the deejay’s hand in her own. With her other hand, she
traced lazy patterns on Carmen’s with her index finger.

Letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, Shane started to
raise her eyes to meet Carmen’s and replied, “I’m glad you did…
because I loved it.” She felt her face begin to flush like she’d seen
on Dana numerous times and automatically bowed her head, wanting now
only to dig a hole in the ground with her bear hands and hide, if only
to avoid the feeling of Carmen ridiculing her.

But all she felt was a warm hand caressing her cheek. “Hey… it’s
okay… I’m not gonna push you, Shane. It’s a bottle opener. It doesn’t
have to be a big deal …not if you don’t want it to be. Not if you’re
not ready for it to be.” Fearing that perhaps she may be saying too
much, but at the same time relieved to finally be getting it out,
Carmen threw caution to the wind and just decided to tell Shane what
she needed to say. “I’ll wait, Shane. Even if it takes forever, even if
you never do, even if nothing ever happens… all that matters is that
at the end of the day–”