Nothing seemed famous.

We ate at Famous Dave's Barbecue, following the football game Friday night. It was a tradition started last year when our son played ball. It had rained so hard I looked for Noah's ark to float by and thus everyone was soaked. Everything was the same. The same menu, same place, same game......but there was something missing among the piles of food, players, parents, cheerleaders....our player, our son. I went over to speak to our daughter and I could tell something was wrong. I thought maybe just tired, cold, wet. I did not make much of it. Did not want to embarrass her among her buddies. I turned the corner of her table and looked at the booth where our son sat last year with his friends. I can still see his red tie, blue striped shirt, crooked grin (like his dad), messed up hair and penny loafers. I remember stopping and taking a picture of them and they all smiled big with food in their mouths. It hit me hard. Those guys have moved on to college days. I glanced back at my daughter's table and looked at all her friends and fellow cheerleaders....I stopped to soak it all in for just a few minutes. Can't be too obvious. We finished our food. Chatted with friends and headed for home. When our daughter arrived home I followed her into her room to ask her if she was okay. She said, "it was just different mom. All my friends were excited about their boyfriends and stuff and I missed Bill." I reminded her about her many friends and she replied, "but they are not my brother, mom." She turned on the heels of her wet sneakers and quietly closed her bedroom door. I remember wondering about having our children so close together. I don't do that anymore.