Celebrating a 21st Birthday

The night before Callum's 21st birthday we walk into the local Italian restaurant.Going out to dinner as a family is a rare occasion for us and we're all excited. A table for nine, we'd asked for. We're rather a large dinner party. The waiter pushes some tables together in the middle of the room for us, making one long table to seat us all.

Once we're settled down, the waiter brings us the menu. I flip mine over and over, looking at all the meal options. More than half the names of the meals are in Italian. I'm trying hard to look like I know what I'm doing, but how is one supposed to do that when you have no idea what the food actually is?

Callum's done this before though, and, seeing quite a few blank looks round the table as my sisters also look at the menu, quickly directs us to some appropriate food. The owner of the shop herself stops to take our orders. She's very friendly, and our dinner is soon ordered quickly and easily.

We're sitting round the table, chatting and laughing, when suddenly two pizza appear on the table in front of us. They look and smell fantastic, but they weren't part of what we ordered. We're quickly informed that it's a treat from the owner, who somehow found out it was Callum's birthday.

From delicious dinners of pasta and pizza, to even better desserts, the meal is an amazing success. I forget to try and pretend that I know what I'm doing. It doesn't seem to matter really. We laugh and talk and take lots of photos, and celebrate Callum's 21st birthday in style.

As we walk out, back to the car at the end of the meal, my sisters and I agree, we wish it could be a 21st birthday every week. Celebrating one is such a special and fun occasion. Especially when it's the birthday of a special brother.