Maya (7) and Asher (12) Talk Pizza and Russ Wing

Continued from page 10

Vanessa: Maya, you talk to them sometimes, right?

Maya: But not usually.

Eleanor: Do you guys like to get dessert when you’re there? What’s your favorite dessert?

Asher: I usually get whatever dessert they have out. Sometimes I get ice cream if I don’t like it.

Maya: [giggling to Asher] Stop tickling my armpit.

Eleanor: Do you guys ever go upstairs or do you always stay downstairs?

Asher: For the most part, downstairs.

Maya: Once I went upstairs.

Eleanor: What did you think of it?

Maya: It was kinda weird because my dad kept on going downstairs and it took forever for him to come up again. So, like, literally whenever I heard footsteps coming up upstairs I’d look over and then be like,“Oh.” I was like, “Come on, come on, come on!”

Eleanor: Do you think of Val like a restaurant or more like eating at your house?

Maya: Restaurant.

Asher: Kind of a mix.

Vanessa: Maya, can I tell her what you said when we drove by there during the pandemic?

Maya: Yeah.

Vanessa: During the pandemic, obviously we couldn’t take kids into Val, so we drove past Val one day and Maya said, “Oh! I love that restaurant! Why don’t we go there anymore?!”

Eleanor: That’s so great. Do you remember how old you were when you guys first went there?

Maya: I was… three?

Vanessa: I think you were a baby, Maya, since you’ve been going there since you were born.

Maya: But, well, my first memory is…

Vanessa: Oh, first memory is very different. But we took you there when you were really little. We took you in your stroller sometimes.

Maya: My first memory was when I was 3 years old.

Asher: I have no idea.

Vanessa: Asher’s been going there since we moved here, so since he was 3 or 4.

Eleanor: Wow, that’s a long time, guys. Do you think you feel any differently about it as you’ve grown up?

Asher: I think now I kind of take it for granted.

Eleanor: I think sometimes I do that too. Well, that’s all my questions, but do you guys have anything you want to say or ask, about Val or in general?

Maya: I do.

Eleanor: OK, go for it, Maya.

Maya: I really like Val because you eat what you want. [Asher gives a thumbs up]

Eleanor: It’s so true. It’s really great. Well, thank you guys so much. I’ll say hi if I see you in Val sometime.

— Eleanor Walsh ’25