"Where are we going?" I asked my dad once we pulled out from the parking lot. He'd insisted on picking me up today.

"Downtown." He turned onto the main road. "I want to go to that gourmet shop on Sudderth Drive to buy some things for our little birthday dinner tomorrow. You could look around and find yourself a gift. There are several shops around there."

"I can do it tomorrow."

"No, I have a lot of cooking to do. And..." He grimaced, pressing his lips as if about to ...