--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Brian and Avis deliver their stacks and…" description: "\"“Brian and Avis deliver their stacks and try to refuse dinner, but the waiters bring them glasses of burgundy, porcelain plates with thin, peppery stea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/diana-abu-jaber-10382_avis-and-brian_brian-and-avis-deliver-their-stacks-and_1706867.png" --- # Brian and Avis deliver their stacks and try to refuse… ![“Brian and Avis deliver their stacks and try to refuse dinner, but the waiters bring them glasses of burgundy, porcelain plates with thin, peppery steaks redolent of garlic, scoops of buttery grilled Brussels sprouts, and a salad of beets, walnuts, and Roquefort. They drag a couple of lawn chairs…” quote by Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/diana-abu-jaber-10382_avis-and-brian_brian-and-avis-deliver-their-stacks-and_1706867.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/diana-abu-jaber-10382_avis-and-brian_brian-and-avis-deliver-their-stacks-and_1706867.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/diana-abu-jaber-10382_avis-and-brian_brian-and-avis-deliver-their-stacks-and_1706867.png) > ““Brian and Avis deliver their stacks and try to refuse dinner, but the waiters bring them glasses of burgundy, porcelain plates with thin, peppery steaks redolent of garlic, scoops of buttery grilled Brussels sprouts, and a salad of beets, walnuts, and Roquefort. They drag a couple of lawn chairs to a quiet spot on the street and they balance the plates on their laps. Some ingredient in the air reminds Avis of the rare delicious trips they used to make to the Keys. Ten years after they'd moved to Miami they'd left Stanley and Felice with family friends and Avis and Brian drove to Key West on a sort of second honeymoon. She remembers how the land dropped back into distance: wetlands, marsh, lazy-legged egrets flapping over the highway, tangled, sulfurous mangroves. And water. Steel-blue plains, celadon translucence. She and Brian had rented a vacation cottage in Old Town, ate small meals of fruit, cheese, olives, and crackers, swam in the warm, folding water. Each day stirring into the next, talking about nothing more complicated than the weather, spotting a shark off the pier, a mysterious constellation lowering in the west. Brian sheltered under a celery-green umbrella while Avis swam: the water formed pearls on the film of her sunscreen. They watched the night's rise, an immense black curtain from the ocean. Up and down the beach they hear the sounds of the outdoor bars, sandy patios switching on, distant strains of laughter, bursts of music. Someone played an instrument- quick runs of notes, arpeggios floating in soft ovals like soap bubbles over the darkening water.”” [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A couple’s simple, sensory‑rich dinner evokes nostalgic memories of past travels and deepens their bond **In simple terms:** Shared meals and memories strengthen relationships Key Takeaway Savor moments and reflect on cherished experiences Themes nostalgia sensory detail relationship travel Mood reflective poetic Type literary romantic When to use this quote - Romantic getaways - family reunions - personal reflection Key Concepts memory place attachment mindful eating Questions to Reflect On - How do sensory experiences shape emotional memory? - What everyday moments can become treasured memories? A Different Perspective The narrative may idealize romance, overlooking everyday challenges ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avis Swam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avis-swam-1207657/) [Avis-and-brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avis-and-brian-13176/) [Beach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beach/) [Family Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-friend/) [Family friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-friends/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Food and wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food-and-wine/) [Friends Avis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-avis-1207660/) [Honeymoon Remembers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honeymoon-remembers-1207659/) [Key-west](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key-west-100804/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Reminds Avis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reminds-avis-1207658/) [Soap bubbles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soap-bubbles/) [Ten years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten-years/) [Vacations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vacations/) ## Related quotes > [“How would you feel about doing a little something in the kitchen?" Avis asks tentatively. Brian laughs. He used to assist her before they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/how-would-you-feel-about-doing-a-little-something-in-the-kitchen-avis/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“This morning's pastry poses challenges. To assemble the tiny mosaic disks of chocolate flake and candied ginger, Avis must execute a number of discrete,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/this-morning-s-pastry-poses-challenges-to-assemble-the-tiny-mosaic/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“He had a satisfying wholeness about him, American good looks like a baseball player's- level shoulders, a pale shock of hair. A good mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/he-had-a-satisfying-wholeness-about-him-american-good-looks-like-a/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“You have reached the home and workplace of Roberto Natchez. I do not often take calls. I make no promise to return them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-shames/you-have-reached-the-home-and-workplace-of-roberto-natchez-i-do-not/) [Laurence Shames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-shames/) > [“A fallow mind is a field of discontent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-cunningham/a-fallow-mind-is-a-field-of-discontent/) [John H. Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-cunningham/) > [“my family's going to eat as long as anybody eats. What they're trying to do is starve you Conchs out of here so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/my-family-s-going-to-eat-as-long-as-anybody-eats-what-they-re-trying/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“The plum-colored night sky was shifting to pink to make room for the day, which looked as though it might turn out “glorious and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-burdette/the-plum-colored-night-sky-was-shifting-to-pink-to-make-room-for-the/) [Lucy Burdette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-burdette/) > [“The fucking you get ain't worth the fucking you get.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wade-ferrel/the-fucking-you-get-ain-t-worth-the-fucking-you-get/) [Wade Ferrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wade-ferrel/) ## More by Diana Abu-Jaber > [If you only write for 15 minutes at a time, you can write a book and still have time for Legos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/if-you-only-write-for-15-minutes-at-a-time-you-can-write-a-book-and/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“The streets of Aqaba are shell spirals and, on summer nights, crowded and complicated as a woman's heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/the-streets-of-aqaba-are-shell-spirals-and-on-summer-nights-crowded/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [I'm constantly at war with myself to quit goofing around, and the internet hasn't helped that any. I've learned that I have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/i-m-constantly-at-war-with-myself-to-quit-goofing-around-and-the/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [Love and prayer are intimately related.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/love-and-prayer-are-intimately-related/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“Sometimes when she lies awake her body feels as finely made as a tuning fork. She can hear and smell the most delicate things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/sometimes-when-she-lies-awake-her-body-feels-as-finely-made-as-a/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [The daily writing practice is something I used to hear batted around a lot in writing workshops - which is probably why I dropped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/the-daily-writing-practice-is-something-i-used-to-hear-batted-around/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“...tasting a piece of bread that someone bought is like looking at that person, but tasting a piece of bread that they baked is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/tasting-a-piece-of-bread-that-someone-bought-is-like-looking-at-that/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“She thinks of Stanley's colored pencil drawings of theoretical businesses: a cafe, a bookshop, and, always, a grocery store. When she was ten and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/she-thinks-of-stanley-s-colored-pencil-drawings-of-theoretical/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“The loneliness of the arab is a terrible thing; it is all consuming. It is already present like a little shadow under the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/the-loneliness-of-the-arab-is-a-terrible-thing-it-is-all-consuming-it/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“She's been scouted by Ford and Elite- real New York agencies. Micah, the agent for Elite- a tall black guy in silver eyeliner- said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/she-s-been-scouted-by-ford-and-elite-real-new-york-agencies-micah-the/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“On the top rack is a cooled and decorated seven-layered 'opera' cake. 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You let them out of your body but you never let them all the way out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/you-want-to-protect-you-children-don-t-you-you-let-them-out-of-your/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“..a phantasm, a pink-palmed jinn, a ghost from one of the drowned cities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/a-phantasm-a-pink-palmed-jinn-a-ghost-from-one-of-the-drowned-cities/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) [Explore all 66 Diana Abu-Jaber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) ## More Avis-and-brian quotes > [“How would you feel about doing a little something in the kitchen?" Avis asks tentatively. Brian laughs. 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A good mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/he-had-a-satisfying-wholeness-about-him-american-good-looks-like-a/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) [Browse all 4 Avis-and-brian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avis-and-brian-13176/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Brian and Avis deliver their stacks and try to refuse dinner, but the waiters bring them glasses of burgundy, porcelain plates with thin, peppery steaks redolent of garlic, scoops of buttery grilled Brussels sprouts, and a salad of beets, walnuts, and Roquefort. They drag a couple of lawn chairs to a quiet spot on the street and they balance the plates on their laps. Some ingredient in the air reminds Avis of the rare delicious trips they used to make to the Keys. 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