Something Else Entirely

7 - How lucky you all are to have each other now, though.

"So, wait, you're really all vegan?"

Byron was having a difficult time firstly grasping the concept of veganism, and secondly, wrapping his head around the reality that my entire family just didn't eat any meat.

"Like, not even milk, or eggs, or anything?"

We just continued shaking our heads. It would sink in eventually. I can't even count the number of times I've had this same conversation with people now.

"Not even you, Ruben? But you're so ripped! I thought all vegans were just pale and scrawny because they're not getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need and stuff."

We all laughed, well aware of that presumption by now.

"Even me, Byron. I've been a vegetarian for over a decade too, just to add to the mind blowing a little," said Dad, still chuckling at Byron.

"Wow. That's something else. I'll have to make sure Mum and Dad know to pick a restaurant for tea tonight that has something vegan."

"Don't go to the trouble, Byron. We can make do anywhere, really," said Sadie, reverting back to using Byron's first name instead of the nickname she devised for him. I'm getting the impression she just loves being able to say 'Byron' out loud.

Also, I think she was as smitten with him as she was his namesake. I can see why. He's a nice dude—respectful and polite towards my family, which always scores a lot of points with me; contributed to discussions, also a major point scorer as we're clearly a family of well-established talkers; can withstand our constant stirring and give a little back, the very clear winner.

But what I liked most about him was that he wasn't weird and questioning of my family, which is always the deciding factor for me. I hadn't had a chance to explain our situation yet, but whenever something came up that stood out as being a little outside the norm of your typical, nuclear family, his obvious questions remained unasked and his curious expression reverted back to its standard, resting neutrality.

He was a rare find. Most others like to at least put their 2 cents in within the first 30 minutes. The only others I'd known who hadn't done that were Ryder and Jasper, and I'm beginning to pick up a clear theme emerging in my close friendships.

By the time we finished breakfast, Byron's parents and Darcie were ready and packed for an afternoon in the sun with us. I felt kind of rude that I didn't ask them if they wanted to come get breakfast, too, when I knocked on their door earlier to ask Byron to come hang out. But if they felt offended, they didn't show it. They just smiled and greeted us all in the lobby with their towels, thongs, and bags of cold drinks and sunscreen, ready and waiting.

Sadie and Kendall's wide grins were the clear standouts in this meeting, I think both equally stoked to finally meet each other, despite the wait being all of 12 hours or so.

"We'll just run up and grab our things real quick, then meet you downstairs," I said, prying Sadie away from her new lady crush, while Dad and Madden chuckled together silently at her reaction to Kendall.

It didn't take long to get ready. When all you have to do to head out for a surf is grab your board, a towel and chuck on some boardies instead of a full wetsuit, it surprisingly eliminates a lot of the prep time required back home.

Madden, however, didn't get that memo, trying on all 3 pairs of boardshorts and checking himself out in the mirror each time he changed. Major crushing move there, buddy.

"She'll think you're a babe, Madd. Quit stressing and let's get ripping," I stirred him, resulting in a quick jab to my ribs and the bright red mark that lingered there all the way back down to the lobby.