When I arrived at the restaurant.
They had already ordered.
Britta was sitting next to Lucas.
There was no place for me.
Britta saw me and gave me an intrigued once-over.
Then she commanded me.
"Go grab a chair and sit wherever!"
I sat at the spot furthest away from them.
Throughout this, Lucas just calmly watched everything.
He didn't say a word.
Someone asked, "Britta, we thought you wouldn't come back this time!"
"Are you kidding? This is Astor's wedding! I'd crawl back if I had to, just to see what kind of catch he landed!"
A few people exchanged meaningful glances.
"That's true, you two have quite the history."
After that, they started asking Britta about her travels.
By the time the food arrived, she had finished telling stories about fishing for yellowfin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea, hiking the Camino de Santiago in Portugal, and climbing Mount Rushmore in Australia.
Their eyes were gleaming with excitement.
"Britta, you're a girl! How dare you go to so many places!"
"Well, I'm not the kind of woman who only cares about cooking, cleaning, husbands, and kids!""The brave get to enjoy the world first!"