Similarities and Differences

Nail Salon

Saturday, August 26

Today was kind of eventful.

Last night, Ava was pretty upset because Kaylen and Mackenzie, Ava's new friends, were having a sleepover without her. Personally, I don't think their intentions were to exclude Ava. I really don't. Ava said that Kaylen's parents didn't want three people at a sleepover because someone always feels left out. I believe that they said that, even though Ava took it personally.

Ava has always wanted to get her nails done, and since she has been such a trooper with this whole move thing and going back to school, I decided to surprise her by giving her a fun day. I want her to know how important she is, and I don't think that spoiling her every once in awhile is such a bad thing.

"Hey, Ava," I said to her this morning at breakfast.

"Hey, what?"

"What's your favorite restaurant in town?"

She thought about this for a moment. "Pancheros is the best." She looked at me. "Why do you ask?"

I smiled a little. "Because that's where we are going for lunch after you get your nails done."

"What?" she asked, chomping on her cereal.

"Yup, and also, I know you want new earrings, so we can check that off the list, too, while we're out." She got her ears pierced a few months ago, but she hasn't been able to take them out until recently. The look on her face made me smile as she just lit up, running over to hug me. I wrapped my arm around her. "You have been so good over these last few months, even though I know this hasn't been easy on you."

"I love you," she said.

"Well, hey, I love you more," I told her.

I have never been in a nail salon before, so this was very interesting for me. Ava walked in, holding my hand.

"It smells like chemicals in here," she told me quietly. "Is it supposed to be like that?"

I know nail polish remover is a very strong smell. Ava doesn't know how to paint her own nails, but her friends paint her nails every once in awhile.

"Well, I think it's supposed to be like that," I said quietly. "Otherwise they wouldn't be able to stay open."

Then a little Asian lady greeted us. "Hello, what can we do for you today?"

"She's getting her nails done," I told the lady.

"Okay!" the lady said. "What would you like to have done?"

Ava thought about this for a moment. "Well, I wanna look like I'm 16." I think my heart sunk, even though that made me laugh. "So, can I have french tip? That's so pretty."

"Absolutely!" The lady smiled at me and then looked at Ava. "Come have seat over here."

Ava followed the lady to a table thingamajig. I sat in one of the waiting chairs. Okay, I don't know much about getting your nails done or anything, but it really surprised me when Ava had to put her hand in this little LED thingamajig. I asked the Asian lady about it, and she said that it dries the shellac on the nail. Since when do people put shellac on nails or in nail polish? Was I supposed to know that was a thing?

And oh my, it was expensive. It was like forty bucks. Wow. I didn't expect that. I thought it would be about half that. Goodness.

When Ava was done, I thought those nails made her look like she was 16. They were so perfect and shiny. Then we went to Claire's, which was the store she wanted to go to to pick out earrings. There were all different kinds of earrings. I told her that she could have one pair of earrings. She picked out dangle earrings that were of ice cream. Out of everything she could've gotten, she chose ice cream.

Just why?

Then I reminded myself that those ice cream earrings proved her to not be 16, so I felt better.

Then we went onto Pancheros, which was fantastic.

On the way home, Ava said to me, "You're the best uncle. Thank you for a great day."

I put a hand up. "No, you're the best niece. Thank you for a great day."

"No, really," she said. "Thank you for letting me get my nails done, and thank you for the earrings and the Pancheros."

"Well, thank you for thanking me, Ava."