Chapter 2 #3
The rest of the afternoon was more walking around campus and becoming acquainted with the landscape and the layout.
Four o’clock came quickly. Mi Cha and Ashley walked back to where they had been dropped off that morning.
Ashley’s taxi was waiting. “See you tomorrow.” She waved at Mi Cha, who appeared to be much more at ease than she was several hours ago.
On the ride to pick up her father, Ashley chatted with Stanley, the driver.
Todd was patiently waiting at the entrance of the camp when they arrived.
He hopped in the cab and gave Ashley a kiss on the cheek.
“How did my girl do today?”
“Great! I have already made a friend. Her name is Mi Cha. She’s from New York and is studying linguistics. She will also be living in the same housing.”
“You wasted no time.” Todd chuckled.
“No, I didn’t. And, tomorrow, you’re going to meet her too. Meet us at the school and her mother will drive us to the apartments.”
“Isn’t it in walking distance?” her father asked.
“Yes, but you wouldn’t be able to drive the RV, so I suggested the four of us go together.”
“Ah. I see.”
“Then you can take all of us out for a late lunch, early dinner.”
“I reiterate, you waste no time.” Todd smiled. He leaned toward the open plexiglass that separated them from the driver’s seat. “I’m Todd, by the way.”
“Stanley,” the driver said and nodded. “You got a smart cookie there.” He gestured toward Ashley.
“That she is.” Todd could not have been prouder of his only child.
The taxi delivered them to the Spanish restaurant.
“If you want me to pick you up, send me a text. I’ll be home but I only live a few miles away,” Stanley offered.
“I don’t want to put you out,” Todd said.
“No problem. It’ll get me out of doing the dishes.” He looked in the mirror and wiggled his eyebrows.
Ashley and Todd sat at the bar having a margarita while they waited for their table to be ready.
“You have done a marvelous job of planning everything,” Todd said proudly. “Your mother is quite the organizer too. Must be in the genes.”
Ashley almost choked on her drink. Genes? As in DNA? She hadn’t thought about the DNA results in months. Was this a sign that she should? Or was it a sign that she shouldn’t?
Todd noticed a change in Ashley’s mood. “Are you okay?”
“Me? Yes. I’m fine.” Ashley lifted her glass and made a toast. “To the best parents in the world.”
Their table was ready and they sat down to enjoy a feast of assorted small plates known as tapas, including gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp), albóndigas (meatballs), and different types of croquettes.
They savored each dish as the music of classical guitarist Andrés Segovia played in the background.
When the waiter came over with the dessert menu, both father and daughter were stuffed but asked if they could have a piece of Basque cheesecake and some magdalenas to go.
“Oh, and please include a tarta de Santiago, in a separate container,” Ashley said politely, then turned to her father. “It’s for the cab driver. It’s the least we can do.” She pulled out her phone and sent Stanley a text informing him that they were almost ready to leave the restaurant.
Todd patted her hand. “You’re a good egg.”
The word “egg” threw her. Maybe it was because she was wondering about her DNA. She shook it off. How stupid.
The taxi driver was elated over his surprise dessert. “How did you know this is one of my favorites?”
“Good guess?” Ashley asked.
“No, seriously. This really is my favorite.”
“Well, I’m glad I guessed correctly.”
“Listen, I want you to keep my number in your phone. If you ever need a ride, just text me and I’ll be there in a jiffy.”
“Oh, thank you so much,” Ashley said sincerely.
“It’s good to know my girl has her own chauffeur.” Todd chuckled.
“My pleasure, sir. And I will keep an eye on her if she starts going to too many parties,” Stanley joked.
Ashley laughed. “I won’t have time.”
“A little fun can’t hurt as long as you pace yourself,” Stanley advised. “By the way, do you need a ride tomorrow?”
“Yes, I do,” Ashley answered.
“Me too,” Todd added.
“I have to be there at eleven,” Ashley informed the man.
“I have to be there at twelve thirty,” Todd added.
“Okay. You got it.”
They got back to the campground in no time. “See you tomorrow.” Stanley waved as the father and daughter exited the cab.
“Looks like you made two friends today,” Todd said as he put his arm around Ashley’s shoulders. He was confident that his girl was going to be simply fine in her new environment.
“Yeah, it was a good day. I think I am going to like it here.”
“I have no doubt.” Todd reached in his pocket for the keys to his house on wheels.
Ashley bounded in first. “I’m going to put on some sweats and catch the last glimpse of the sunset.”
“Good idea. We can have dessert outside. I’ll make some tea.”
A few minutes later Todd and Ashley were sitting comfortably outside and enjoying the changing colors of the sky. About an hour later, Ashley decided it was time to call it a night. She didn’t realize how tired she was until the last bite of cheesecake.
“I’m beat.”
“It was a big day,” Todd said. “You go inside. I’m going to stay out here for a bit.”
Ashley kissed her father goodnight and made her way to her bed.