"A Gatorade would be nice," I said. Then I grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. I whispered in her ear. "You might want to get some breath mints."

She nodded. "You don't know the half of it. That stuff doesn't sit well in my stomach. And you had to pump out enough to choke a pro. I'm gonna need some pepto, or alka-seltzer or something. I hope you appreciate it."

I gave her a hug. "I hope to show you how much, in just a little while."

She gave me a peck on the cheek, and I looked over to see that Mom was watching our whole little scene....