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of the food on the table of the grill, and ran around in the yard for a while with Joshua and Diana.
    Just running around was a good kids’ game. Our two laughed and screamed a lot, which was the main point, and there weren’t any rules except getting caught every now and then, and getting away other times. First, one of us was the chaser and catcher and then another one was. We also did a lot of falling down just as we were about to escape or catch somebody. From the balcony, Zee and Corrie watched and talked, like spectators at an arena game.
    When I figured it was time to get to cooking, I fell down one last time and let both kids fall on top of me so we could all catch our breath, then got up and walked the three of us around the house a few times to quiet us down some more. On the last circumnavigation, I informed the audience in the balcony that dinner would soon be served, then shooed Joshua and Diana away from the grill and went to work on supper.
    As is often the case with good food, there wasn’t much to cooking this meal, especially since the prep work had already been done. I dumped the veggies into the perforated metal wok, put the wok on one side of the grill, and laid the bluefish fillets on the other. I spent five minutes stirring and turning the vegetables as they roasted, then turned the fish and stirred the veggies for another five minutes, and that was that. I turned off the grill and carried everything into the house, where I sliced up some homemade white bread and popped the cork from the jug of the house white—sauvignon blanc.
    We ate on the porch, and everything was delish!
    â€œMy, my,” said Corrie, pushing back his plate and touching his napkin to his lips. “I don’t remember a finer meal. You folks know how to live.”
    â€œIt’s hard to beat fresh bluefish and veggies,” agreed Zee. “You’ll have to eat with us again while you’re down here.”
    â€œYou say that one more time and I’ll be the man who came to dinner and never left.” He looked approvingly at Joshua and Diana, who were seated across from him. “I’m glad to see your little ones eat big-people food. Some kids are pretty picky.”
    â€œThey inherited my genes,” grinned Zee. “There’s nothing I won’t eat a ton of!”
    â€œI may be an old man,” said Corrie, digging a hand into the pocket of his jacket, “but I still got an eye for the ladies, so you can take my word for it when I tell you that you don’t look like some other women I know who love their food. I don’t see any sign of that ton.” His hand came out holding a pipe. “You folks mind if I step outside for a smoke? I got a habit that I just can’t shake.”
    â€œYou smoke right here,” said Zee. “Jeff smoked a pipe for years and still has his rack of briars and corncobs that he can’t throw away because he may start again anytime. And I like the smell of a pipe, myself, so you just light up!” She stood and started collecting plates and silverware. “Stay right where you are,” she said to Corrie as he started to stand. “It’s the way we do it: if I cook, Jeff cleans; if he cooks, I clean. Division of labor and all that. You’re a guest, so you don’t get to help.”
    â€œI’ll get the brandy and
biscotti
, then.” I got up and did that, and when the table was cleared we all sipped and ate, enjoying Corrie’s pipe as we did.
    Joshua and Diana stayed with the grown-ups and, after a bit, Corrie reached out a long arm and pulled a shiny penny from behind Diana’s ear. “Well, look what I found,” he said. “Don’t you wash behind your ears, young lady?”
    Joshua, who hadn’t known that his sister kept pennies behind her ears, was impressed even more when Corrie found another new penny behind
his
ear. Then Corrie found one in midair. All told, he found ten