I am the closest to the door, so I get there to see that the pancakes are done, and James, now nude, is carrying a tray of them outside, while Peter and my dad are carrying the kitchen table.

"Where are you taking the table?", says Mindy

"Outside, the picnic table is for 6 people, not 8"

"We can eat inside", says Mindy, perhaps hopeful for some time between just the three of us, or the two of them.

"It would be more fun all together", says Peter, and Mindy resigns herself.

Clara however, is busy whipping some cream. I notice that Peter has some on his nose, but like it was wiped out but not completely.

My mother is cutting bananas.

"Mindy? Could you and your friends bring the chairs? One each"

"Sure!", she says, and we follow suit.

"I left my towel in the car", says Billy.

"Grab three from the linen closet, middle shelf", says Mindy.

I think her intention was for him to come back to the closet, but he went with the chair, put the towels on the seat, and brought everything with him.

Us kids sat around three sides of the kitchen table, which was pushed against the picnic table to create a long two level table. Two levels because there was a small gap in height, with the picnic table being shorter.

I sat next to my mother's place, who was sitting next to my father, who had James on the other side. Mindy sat next to Clara's place, with Peter in front of my father. Billy sat to face the long table. Of course, both mothers were still inside, making the last touches. It felt sexist, but both had experience in a professional kitchen.

"Mindy? Could you bring plates, while Julie brings utensils?", said Peter

"Can I help?" offered Billy, to which Peter offered he could bring glasses. I looked, and on the picnic table were two pitchers, once with iced water and the other with iced orange juice.

It's only later that I learned Clara's secret to orange juice. Years later...

She uses frozen cans, but doesn't put all the required water. That way, when ice cubes are introduced, they don't dilute the juice as much, at least, not at first.

I still do that trick today, but when I move out, I hope to be able to just buy the fresh thing. Nothing beats it.

The three of us rushed, but we crossed paths with my mother who had the first tray of food. She and I exchanged a smile as we made eye contact.

I can't read her mind, but I think this is the kind of life she was hoping to get. A simple meal, nude, with her family and friends.

Is it a spoiler? Maybe, but I fail to see how this will make it in my story. So I will explain now.

My father grew up as a naturist. To him, naturism is entirely normal and expected. It's his lifestyle. To him, clothes are what you wear outside the house. Later, his family put naturism on pause, but he was always a naturist in his heart.

But my mother didn't. She was a late convert, so it's different for her. It's foreign, exotic. Her childhood isn't filled with naturism. Her vacation trips as a kid weren't in this world.

She grew up with all the insecurities that textiles live with. I know, I had them. I was fortunate enough to start naturism at 12, not in college, but my mother had her self-image fully formed by the time she discovered this lifestyle.

To her, naturism isn't natural. It's like a vacation from her problems. It's a revelation. Every moment was like her breaking some rule which allowed her to be free or something. I can't understand, and it's not like we had a conversation that left a mark on me. It's more like an impression.

Mindy showed us where everything was, even if I was already starting to have a map of her kitchen in my mind. You know, where to get a fork, a glass, etc...

"I am overly excited to be here, and to see you again", says Billy, once Clara is outside, and we are left just between the three of us.

"I mean, to see you two again", he adds, all shy.

"We'll be able to swim, play volleyball, and even play pinball", says Mindy

"Pinball? What's that sport?"

Mindy laughs as she gives glasses to Billy

"It's a pinball machine. You know, like old times"

"Oh, that's cool", he says.

"Speaking of Cool, do you know if our friends will be here today?", I ask Mindy, about Lucy.

"I have no clue. They spend most weekends in the summer here, but only occasionally starting in September and pretty much only for Halloween in October", says Mindy

"Wait, you celebrate Halloween here?", says Billy, surprised as Mindy grabs plates, and I grab utensils.

"What, did you think we didn't?", says Mindy, confused.

We go outside

"Well, what do you do?", says Billy

"Carve pumpkins, my mom makes a mean pumpkin pie", she says, while we are behind her parents, to which Peter says,

"It's not mean, it's delicious, and I say that perfectly aware that I hate every other pumpkin pie on the planet", he says

"You don't hate all of them. I just have a special recipe. I am sure others have one too", says Clara

"Like yours? No chance"

"I remember that pie. It's rather unique", my mother says

"Do you want the recipe?", says Clara

"I'd love to!"

"Well you can't have it. It's my secret, and Mindy will only learn it on my deathbed", says Clara

"Hey, I would like to learn it while you are still alive", says Mindy, who passes the plates, while I pass the forks, knives and spoons by her side. Billy goes the other way around to distribute glasses.

"She cooks it while we sleep. She pretends to fall asleep and sneaks into the kitchen", says Peter

"And I don't let people carry it away from my eyes. So no one sends a copy to a laboratory", says Clara, laughing.

"I'll crack the recipe, I swear it, if it's the last thing I do", says my mom.

"Oh, it will be. Because right after you discover it, you will not be able to make it", adds Clara.

James looks at Clara and my mother, confused, and asks my dad

"What's happening?", he says

"I think that they are reforming their lost friendship", my dad replies.

On that, Clara and my mom laugh.

"It's cornmeal", says Clara

"Of course, for texture?", my mother says

"Damn right it is. I also put more brown sugar and less white, but I don't substitute one on one. Overall, it's more sugar in total and probably why my husband likes it."

Mindy says

"So I can get the recipe?"

"If Kylie and Julie want, then can come over in October, and we will do a girl's party of baking pumpkin pie while Steven and dad decorate outside"

"I'd like that", says Mindy

But then, we are all seated, Clara says a prayer to thank the lord for the food, and James for the butter and the fruits.

the conversation turns to jobs, and quickly Mindy asked Billie

"Which butter?"

"We went to a specialized shop before coming over which sells specialty butter for pastries. I don't know why my dad thought of that, but he did and well, I guess your mom approved"

"Specialty butter?", Mindy asks

"But seriously, Halloween, what do you guys do?"

"We decorate. We get a few bales of hay, I mean, they harvest them around, we rent them, and then, they sell them on the market. It costs almost nothing, but two years ago, a bunch of us made a hay maze for the kids, but it wasn't a success. They preferred the corn maze, even if it usually sucks"

"A corn maze?", says Billy, all excited

"No, don't get your hopes up. There is a field where they cut a winding path. You can't really get lost in it. You walk in a sort of spiral toward the middle, and they put a bowl on a stool with candy in it. You take one and walk back to the entrance"

"And you can do it nude?", asks Billy

"No, shoes are mandatory"

"But it's outside the resort, isn't it?", says Billy

This is my chance to explain.

"The resort owns the fields all around, so there are areas where we can hike in the nude"

"Screw volleyball, I want to do that today!", says Billy.

"I can't go alone. We need an adult with us", says Mindy

"I am sure my dad will come. He is cool"

But then, James replies. "Thanks, you are cool too", but he returns to the adult's conversation.

Still, from that point, the volume of the talk between us was lower, and sometimes I lost words over the laughs from the adults.

"But seriously, do you do costumes?", he says

"Sometimes, but other times we do body painting. That's fun. I was a tiger 2 years ago. I had stripes on my body and cat ears. It's stupid, but I liked it"

"I would have love to see it"

"I'll show you pictures later", says Mindy, almost flirting.

The pancakes were incredible. Just perfect. Well worth the wait and honestly, when I am feeling down, I just go see Clara and beg her for pancakes. They always pick me up. Even when I had an eating disorder, I didn't say no to them.

Billy agreed, and devoured them as Mindy discussed the various past Halloween activities that took place at the resort. Lucy and Clark in the last few years helped a lot and were a ton of fun. Mindy expected even more this year from them.

After we all ate too much, there were still pancakes left, so Clara and my mom proposed to clean up and deliver a doggy bag to the front lobby, as promised, while the three dads went hiking with us.

Characters

Episodes