“We can do it at my house,” Arianna offered. “I think Mom would like that.” Even though her chemo was done, her mother was still dealing with its aftereffects, trying to get back her energy.
“How’s she feeling?” asked Molly.
“Glad to be done with chemo. We’re still doing soft foods but maybe by Thanksgiving she’ll be able to eat some turkey.”
“As long as she can eat stuffing,” said Sunny. “That’s the best part of Thanksgiving. Speaking of food, what do we want to have for our party?”
“Apples,” said Arianna.
Molly made a face. “Just plain apples?”
“Baked apples,” Arianna elaborated.
“Apple crisp,” Molly argued, “with sugar and butter. You can bake those apples for your website.”
“It doesn’t hurt to eat healthy once in a while,” Arianna said with a frown.
“It hurts me,” said Molly. “But all right, go ahead and bake your apples. I’m bringing apple crisp, though. And whipped cream.”
“What should I bring?” Sunny asked.
“Yourself,” Arianna told her. “You get a pass until the boot comes off.”
“Which should be by Halloween,” Sunny said. “I’ll be down to a walking brace, thank heaven. Meanwhile I can at least bring chips for this. And I can organize the games.”
“That goes without saying,” said Arianna. “Maybe we should play back-to-school-type games.”
“Hangman!” said Sunny. “Holiday hangman.”
“That sounds so...creepy,” Molly said in disgust.
“But it’s a good word game,” said Sunny. “My sister and I played it when we were kids.”
“Who didn’t?” Molly said.
“Me?” ventured Arianna.
“Your life has been deprived,” Sunny told her.
“I don’t want to play games about hanging people,” Molly said firmly and that settled that. “What else can we do?” she mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
“Story problems!” Sunny crowed.
“Eew,” said the other two.
“No, I mean funny ones,” Sunny said. “Like, if I left a dozen cookies out for Santa and the elves ate half of them and he only ate two because he was pacing himself, how many cookies would be left on the plate?”
“I say don’t leave him any. Eat ’em all,” said Molly, and Arianna giggled. “But that’s a cute idea,” Molly continued, dredging a French fry through her ketchup. “Fits with the back-to-school theme. I think we should give all the kids school-type prizes—pens, fancy notebooks, funny erasers.”
“They do almost everything on computers nowadays,” said Arianna. “But Sophie still loves her arts and crafts.”
“Okay, then. I’ll pick up a bunch of things—glitter, glue, colored paper, stickers.”
“Oh, yeah, you can’t go wrong with stickers,” Arianna approved.
Their waiter appeared. “What else can I get you, ladies?”
“I’ll have another glass of white wine,” Molly told him. She sent a smirk Sunny’s way. “I’m drinkin’ for two.”
