"Are you ready?" I asked Clarissa as I held her tight.

"Yes!!! I'm so hungry," she laughed in response.

"Let's go get my special girls some food then," Alex smiled, carrying Clarissa's book and ushering us out into the hall. He closed her door and led us downstairs and into the garage.

He had plenty of cars in the garage, but opted for a black SUV of some sort. He opened the door for me before leading Clarissa to the other side. Then he lifted her up and placed her in the seat behind his. He carefully buckled her in as I climbed into my own seat he handed her book to her, and then climbed into the driver's seat. Immediately she began reading.

As he placed his hand on the center console, I took his hand in mine and kissed it. "You're amazing, you know that?" I said quietly.

"I'm still here and grownups are still gross," Clarissa cut in with a grin without looking up from her book.

"Oh you're feeling cheeky today!" I yelled out playfully as I reached back to tickle her. She screamed and laughed and pressed herself as far as she could into the seat to try and get safe from Tabitha's tickle attack.

"Alex ALEX help!" Clarissa laughed in her sweet little voice.

He motioned to my sides behind my back (a detail I discovered later) and Clarissa only giggled more as he started to tickle me. I started laughing even harder as I tried to swat his hands away. I quickly sat back in my seat yelling, "I yield, I yield!"

We laughed the entire way to Renee's diner. Renee was one of Alex's mother's closest friends growing up, and his godmother. They had been coming here since he was a child, and he wanted to carry on the tradition with Clarissa and Tabitha.

As we entered the diner, Renee flew out from behind the counter on her roller skates. Her dark hair flew behind her as she stopped in front of us. "Alex my boy! Let me look at you! Marriage looks so well on you!" she smiled holding his cheeks. "Ah, you must be the wife," she smiled pushing past him and taking Tabitha's my in her own. "Roula has told me so much about you. I'm Renee, Roula's best friend and this little one's Nouna (godmother in Greek). "

"It's a pleasure to meet you Renee," I beamed. She reminded me a bit of my mother. She had a kind and caring, yet tired face.

"And you, Koukla (little doll, a term of endearment) must be Clarissa," she smiled taking Clarissa's hand.

"Hi," Clarissa beamed excitedly.

"Oh the stories I could tell about this one when he was little. Always getting into trouble," she laughed just as Clarissa's stomach began to growl. "But first let us get some food in your belly," she chuckled. "Don't they feed you?"
Clarissa laughed.

"I was extra hungry today. Yesterday was a long day."

"Come, sit," Renee smiled showing us to a booth. I climbed in on one side, and Alex on the other.

Clarissa looked conflicted as if unsure of who to sit beside. "It's okay to sit by Alex sweetie, you wont hurt my feelings," I smiled at her as she hugged me and jumped in the booth beside him. I found myself so proud of the new bond they shared.

Renee took our orders and skated away. "I love her," I smiled. "She reminds me of my mom. Why wasn't she at the wedding?"

"Her son had gotten into a car accident the morning of the wedding. She was looking after his kids so his wife could be at the hospital with him," Alex spoke softly.

"Is he alright?" I asked worriedly. "He is recovering slowly, but still in the hospital. He was hit by a drunk driver."

"That's terrible."