Awk Sauce

Awk Sauce is a phrase my children use to describe an awkward situation, often involving their parents.  Earlier this week I had a breakfast meeting near my daughter’s school at the end of Regent Street.  So I thought I’d take the occasion to pop by.

At the front desk I asked if she’s around and they wanted to know if this was a scheduled visit.  I told them no, that I was just in the neighborhood and thought it would be nice to see her in her natural habitat away from home.

“Oh, how nice, she’ll be so excited,” the office secretary told me.

So we climbed the three flights of stairs to her Spanish class and looking in I could see her big smile through the sliver of window.  She, however, had not seen me.

The secretary peeked in and asked for Natalie.  A chorus of “woo, woo” went up from her classmates, suggesting she was in trouble.

When she saw me the reaction was pure Awk Sauce: “Whaaat are you dooooing heeere?”

We stood outside the classroom and had our moment:

“I just wanted to see you since I was down the street.”
“Why??”

“Because I missed you.”

“Oh God Dad, really.”

We exchanged hugs and kisses and she was off.  My day was elevated, her day was, well interrupted.

Later that night I heard her re-telling the story to her sister.  “It was total Awk sauce.  When I got back into the class everyone asked if that was my dad.  I told them ‘No.’”