#anywhere

Adam doesn't say anything for a moment. "Piper got honorable mention, but a lot of awesome swag."

"they MUST have been good to hold her back"

"Hope she's content with that, she's very talented, so I'm surprised too but.. swag is swag"

"She's ok with it, I think, but she's gonna keep doing contests. I think."

"Well, we'll cheer her on" Brenda says

"You bet." He drinks.

"So what did she sing?"

Adam fills them in, with enthusiastic descriptions of Piper's reception ".... and the last one was this Ode to Rivervale that was really sweet. I think the Countess liked it but, like, couldn't show it?"

Kyle nods "Of course she can't."

"Not sure. She was, like.... I don't know if she liked -any- of it, except she chose -two- winners for the job."

"Glad she can afford it"

"I guess.... courts cost a lot. In dross, at least."

"You probably know more than we do, son" Kyle "At least there."

"I do? How come?"

"You spent more time around holds, seen more than we have. We know the lodge . That's it" Kyle says

"Oh. Yeah, I guess."

"We can't even take trods" A sigh from Brenda "Not until saining"

"I'm not supposed to either. Without someone with me."

"Well, you had piper's back and vice versa. Makes sense" His dad says. Being surprisingly cool about this "Okay... Medium Rare here.. you want me to cook it more?"

"That's fine, dad. Thannks." he gets it and a few small sides.

"So.. I know it might be boring, but let me tell you what our company is doing... someone is hiring us for some Police Reform ads..." Kyle begins to explain about his own ofice adventures

"Oh the cops are not going to like that" Marsha says

"...stick it to the man, father..." Lily says

"Lily, we do not stick it to the man ,we're Methodists" Brenda says

Adam eats and listens.

Eats a bit, anyway.

Lily looks up "...huh...another star is borne...down down down to the earth...'

..... his potato salad goes for a little trip around his plate......

"Oh goodness sake, Adam.. just it it's good ... " Then Brenda looks at her daughter

He obediently eats some.

"Thank you" she says still eying Lily but.. then she shrugs

"Kyle you were saying?" She follows

And Adam eats and listens to what his family has been up to. It's not entirely boring.

but his mind might still go elsewhere

(End Scene)