We went through all the toppings on the pizza, and when the server asked if we were ready to order, I asked him for more time but requested lemonade for both of us. We chose a vegetarian pizza for him, since he’d never eaten meat before. I ordered an extra large with stuffed crust and a serving of Caesar salad for us to share.
“What’s that?” he asked when the waiter placed a basket of garlic bread on the table.
“It’s garlic bread. Try one.”
“Mother allowed me to eat only one slice of bread, one with all the grains in it. There are no grains in this one.”
He bit into the bread and chewed slowly, then shoved the rest into his mouth. “That tastes good.”
I laughed when he dipped his hand back into the basket, but I caught his wrist. “Slow down and chew properly. And let me show you a trick.” I took up my knife and spread some butter on the bread, then handed it to him. “Now try it.”
His eyes widened. “What’s that?”
“That’s the magic of butter.”
“Can I eat it without the bread?”
“You can, but it’s probably best to have it on the bread. Your parents had some idea about monitoring what you ate. A lot of people do that, but you can do it without being as strict as they were. Do you understand?”
He nodded. “More, please.”
He would have devoured the basket of bread if I hadn’t asked the server to take the rest away. Cosmo pouted. “I wasn’t done yet. I’m still hungry.” He ducked his head. “I’m sorry. I should be satisfied with my portion.”
I reached across the table and covered his hand, which was sticky from the butter. “I didn’t have them take the bread away because I’m concerned about your weight. The pizza will be ready soon, and I want you to have room to savor it. That’s all.”
“Okay.” He stared at the glass of lemonade he hadn’t touched.
“Do you want to drink some?”
“Yes, but I can only drink at the end of my meal.”
“Let me guess. Your parents said so.”
He nodded.
“Well.” I took a long sip of mine and sighed. “It’s good. Taste it.”
“Why’s it pink?”
The more questions he asked, the more it hit home how deprived he’d been. “Food coloring.”
He wrapped his lips around the straw and took a cautious sip. His eyes widened, and he sucked up some more. “It’s sweet!”
“Is it not supposed to be?”
“I don’t know. Mother always made lemonade with lemons, and it tasted so sour.”
“Ah, well, many people drink their lemon juice with sugar. It’s completely normal.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
The server returned to our table with our pizzas. My stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten anything today. I’d been too nervous about picking up Cosmo, but now that he was with me, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
“Be careful,” I warned. “It might be hot.” I took two slices and put them on his plate. “Do you want pepper?”
“Do I?”