Page 48 of Fall With Me
“Is he usually this passionate about fries?” Chloe asks, watching Finn make his way to the food stalls.
“No.” I shake my head. “Pizza is his ultimate love. I’m not sure why he’s so adamant about eating those tonight. It’s not like they’re served exclusively in fall.”
“Two questions. First, what is your favorite thing to eat and second, what’s the ultimate fall food for you?”
“I love tacos,” I say. “Authentic is best, but since I don’t have time to make them frequently, we usually eat the basic kind made with ground beef. As for fall, I love chili, apple pie, and a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. What about you?”
Chloe gets separated from me by a mom chasing her daughter, who runs right between us. She gets back to my side and says, “Tacos are delicious. You can never go wrong with them.”
“But are they your favorite?”
“Close. I love loaded nachos.”
“Like the kind you ate at the football game.”
She smiles. “Exactly like that.”
“And for fall?”
“I’m totally the person who wants pumpkin everything. I make my own sugar-free whole wheat pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie smoothies, pumpkin spice oatmeal, pumpkin waffles, and pumpkin dark chocolate chip cookies.”
Is she one of those Instagram influencers who wears tan hats, plaid scarves, and posts about their pumpkin latte every day? “That’s…extreme.”
She inhales sharply. “Are you a pumpkin hater?”
“I don’t hate it, but I’m not obsessed like you are.”
She holds up a finger. “For the record, I am not obsessed. I don’t eat it for every meal. But I do enjoy savoring the flavor September through November.”
“Be honest. How many times have you eaten something with pumpkin in it already?”
Her hand waffles in the air. “Ten-ish.”
I chuckle. “It’s almost the end of September, and you’re saying you’ve already had something pumpkin-y close to half the days of the month?”
“Someone who zealously loves the fruit would have eaten it thirty times or more by now.”
“Based on what data?”
She taps her temple. “The kind stored up here.”
“So you made it up?”
She scoffs. “You think I’d do something like that?”
My reply is immediate. “Without a doubt.”
“Harsh.”
“The truth hurts sometimes.”
She pinches my side. “I’d like to hurt you right now.”
I laugh and jump away from her fingers reaching for another spot to grab. “I’m your ride home. You might want to rethink that.”
“Dad!” Finn waves to us. “I found the place.”
“Great. Let’s see what they have.” I stand behind Finn, placing my hands on his shoulders, using him as a shield to protect me from Chloe.
