Epilogue

Casa Juan, New Pittsburg, Mars

Saturday, July 1, 2141, 11:50 AM

As David entered Casa Juan his mind drifted back to the first time he came here. That was more than five years ago. When Marilyn brought him and Will here for the first time, Casa Juan consisted of one open dinning room. Now there were two smaller dinning rooms off to one side. Each of the smaller rooms had seating for twenty people. Between them was a sliding wall that opened to create a large banquet room that handled forty people for a sit down dinner or sixty people for a reception like David was hosting today.

David and his two spouses were celebrating his promotion to Plant Manager of the Alexander Industries Ammunition plant. Yesterday afternoon David shared a celebration with Thomas Nichols, hosted by the employees, in the plant cafeteria. June thirtieth was Thomas Nichols' last day with Alexander Industries. After over forty years of dedicated service to the company he was retiring. Tuesday morning he and his wife were catching a ship back to Earth. After years of scrimping and saving they owned a small house in Seattle free and clear. Between what they saved and the company's pension they would be able to enjoy a modest retirement in the city they both loved.

Today's reception was by invitation only. The guests were a mix of company employees and David's friends. David made sure to invite the heads of all the departments and shop foremen, he also invited their spouses. Informally, he was also using the reception to congratulate Rufus Farley and Daniel Evans. David was promoting Rufus to Assistant Plant Manager and Daniel to General Operations Manager. David was still not sure who he would promote to shop foreman, replacing Daniel. He did know that he would suggest Rufus and Daniel rearrange the assignments to reward some of the other shop foremen with more challenging assignments.

Just then the ball of energy that was Summer Delacruz Roachcutter came bursting across the dinning room. Looking at her it was hard to believe this 23-year-old bundle of energy was Mrs. Xan Roachcutter and the mother of a seventeen-month-old son. However, when you met little Jax Roachcutter there was no doubt in your mind he was Summer's son. David fervently hoped that young Sara Ann Reed-Powell-Kinney would be just a little more sedate.

Young Sara was the apple of both her fathers' eyes. Born the morning of April 7, 2140, she had Marilyn's green eyes and brown hair like both her fathers. Neither David nor Will really cared who her biological father was. They both thought of her as their daughter and were very protective of her. Today, she was staying with Grandmother and Grandfather Sanchez so Marilyn and Will could attend the reception David was hosting.

She was just starting to learn to talk, and David hoped her great grandparents would use Standard English instead of the ghetto slang they normally used. He had high hopes for her future, but no one promoted someone who talked like a street tough. He asked all three of her great grandparents to please talk Standard English around Sara, not the trash they normally spoke. He was beginning to feel like King Knute trying to order the tide not to rise. Sara's first word was Dada, but her second had been fuck. Oh well that was a fight for another day, today he just wanted to celebrate.

Grabbing his right hand, Summer drug him into the banquet room. Practically bouncing up and down in front of him, Summer said. "David everything is ready. You can greet people just inside the door here, then send them on to the buffet along the wall. The bar is in the far corner. Xan agreed to tend bar for the party. During the week he works construction, but he is trying to learn about the restaurant."

"Why the sudden interest in the restaurant? I thought his job paid well."

"Grandfather and Grandmother both want to retire at the end of December. Mom and Dad will need at least one more person in the kitchen and they're promoting me to Dinning Room Manager. I need a new server and a part time bartender for parties."

"Congratulations on your promotion. How does Loretta feel about it?"

"She was actually very happy for me. I think she likes the idea that when she leaves at the end of her shift, her job is over. I'm discovering that a manager's job doesn't end, just because you want to go home. I never knew how much Grandmother did after I left for the day."

"Don't worry you can do it. My job is also like that, Marilyn and Will are always telling me to drop my job on the table by the front door. Actually, I suggest you do the same thing. Finish all the work you can before you go home, then when you enter the apartment concentrate on Xan and Jax. Someone once told me that no one ever said on their deathbed, 'gee I wish I'd spent more time at work.'"

"Thank you, David I'll try to take your advice."

Summer proceeded to describe the food on the buffet, and the drinks Xan would serve. The drinks consisted mainly of wine, bottled beer, soft drinks, and iced tea. At David's request, Lilli ordered a good 2139 Chilean white Chablis, a 2138 California Riesling, and Rolling Steam Ale. The food was the standard Latin American finger foods such as flautas, soft tacos, and nachos. Additionally, they had artichoke hearts with garlic mayonnaise, raw broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower with three kinds of dips, and cubes of Havarti, Swiss, and Gouda cheeses.

Looking over Summer's shoulder, he spotted Marilyn and Will entering the restaurant. Walking hand in hand they crossed the dinning room. Summer noticed the sudden smile on David's face. His whole face brightened like the sun coming up in the morning. Without even looking behind her, she knew that his spouses were here. Over the last five years she had seen that look on David's face many times. Both Marilyn and Will seemed to have the same reaction when they saw one or both of their lovers enter a room.

When they arrived at the door to the private dining room, Marilyn and Will greeted Summer, then hugged and kissed David. Summer quickly filled the two of them in on the things she had already told David. Then she asked is there was anything that they could think of that she missed. When all three of them answered in the negative Summer started to leave. David stopped her and told the other two about her promotion. Both of them congratulated her before she went bounding off to take care of the dinning room.