We go through our days when a few of us are lucky enough to gather at the table for dinner, as we did last night, with Allyson’s dearest and longest friend, Charlotte, who is .. at a different high school, of course. It was so good to have them together!

So we made the kids do two truths and a lie — as Jason served us a delicious dinner that I had been dreading but suddenly adored (he’s magic like that).

ANYWAY — one of Allyson’s choices was she sat alone at lunch again, and I guessed that was the lie and hoped against hope against hope that I was correct — and I was!! She sat with a new friend named Sam, and all of Sam’s friends, and … I hope the way gets smoother.

But we’re not totally out of the woods yet, which is why I then lost at chess, too. It’s not because I’m bad at chess — I was just trying to help Allyson (ha).