Tonight was the Girl’s final evening at home. She heads back tomorrow for her second semester of college. (Is it only her second semester? How is that possible? It seems she’s been studying forever, and we’ve only just begun this adventure in independence and eye-watering expenses.)

“What do you want for dinner that final night,” K and I asked her. She thought for a while and replied, “Fettuccine alfredo.”

“With shrimp?” It’s her favorite, and I would have been surprised if she said no, but “No” was indeed her response. “With chicken, I think.”

But how to spend our last evening together? We long ago realized that we are only a small part of our daughter’s circle, and that meant we’d only have a little time with her this evening. “I want to go visit M one last time,” she explained. M, her closest friend from high school, studies at Fordham; they only see each other when they both happen to be home. So a family movie was out, and besides, there’s not much socializing with a movie. Additionally, since the Boy has regional band auditions tomorrow, he would be more than reluctant to spend so much time away from his trombone on the evening before such a significant audition. In the end, we played cards.