“Hello. My name is Renee. Thank you for dining with us this evening. May I offer you an aperitif, cocktail or beverage?”

“Tea for myself. My daughter will have milk.”

“With a lid and a straw, please. Mommy always gets mine with a lid and a straw.”

“Absolutely, Miss. I’ll be right back.”

“Quit tugging at your collar, Punkin.”

“But I don’t like this dress, Daddy. It’s itchy and these shoes are pinchy. Why do I got to wear them?”

“Because this is a nice restaurant. It’ll be fun. You’ll see.”

“McPlay Places are fun. They have slides and climbing tubes. If this is was a McPlay Place, I could take off these pinchy shoes.”

“People always wear their shoes here. Now quit squirming.”

“Yes, Daddy. Please don’t frown. Watch this. I can make the candle dance. I blow on it like this. Not hard like at a birthday party, but real soft. Are you watching? Do you see the candle dance?”

“That’s very pretty. Don’t get too close to the flame.”

“Daddy, why are there so many forks?”

“So you can use a clean one for each part of your meal. One for salad, one for your main course, and one for dessert.”

“Do I have to use ALL the forks?”

“No. You can skip some.”

“Good. I don’t like salad.”

“Your drinks, sir. Would you like me to describe our specials for this evening?”

“No, thank you. We just need a couple of minutes.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Punkin?”

“Did you used to come here with Mommy?”

“On special occasions.”

“Is this a special occasion?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because we both needed to get out of the house. Because being around other people is good for us. And because I’m here with you.”

“I like that last because.”

“Me, too. Now please stop blowing bubbles in your milk.”

“Oops. I spilled some.”

“Use your napkin.”

“I can’t. It’s folded up too pretty. It looks like a swan. Does it look like a swan to you? I love stories about swans. There was the one about the ugly duckling. And the one about the swan who lived on the lake but it was really a lady and the handsome prince had to save her. Do you know any more stories about swans?”

“No. Here. Use my napkin.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Punkin?”

“Can we ask the man for some crayons? I want to draw on the tablecloth. It’s nice and smooth and so white. I can draw you a pretty picture with flowers and birds and clouds until there isn’t any more white left. It will make you happy. Will you let me make you happy?”

“These tablecloths aren’t really made for little girls to draw on.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t kick the table leg.”

“That other place had white tablecloths, too.”

“What other place?”

“Where a man told us Mommy had gone to heaven.”

“Did it? I didn’t notice.”

“Have you made your selections, sir?”

“Yes. I’ll have the chicken cordon bleu. What would you like, Punkin?”

“A hamburger. And may I please have apples instead of French fries. I like the fries best, but Mommy likes for me to like the apples.”

“Of course, Miss. I’ll tell the chef right away.”

“Daddy, that man’s shoes look pinchy, too. Are they pinchy?”

“Probably.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Punkin?”

“I don’t like white tablecloths.”

---

A Kay Note

I originally wrote this story for a contest. Although I didn’t win, I loved the challenge of writing this story and highly recommend ‘dialogue only’ as a writing exercise. It’s an excellent method for developing a distinct voice for each character that doesn’t rely on ‘he said’ or ‘she said’ tags for clarification.