Marlin had been laughing at a joke that Chloe made but when he spotted Lily he cheerfully waved her over, waiting until she was closer before introducing her to Chloe and Steve. His two friends had barely been able to return greetings and query whether Marlin was still up for that meal afterwards before they were being called over by another member of the group.
Confirming that he was, Marlin watched them start to walk over for a moment or two before turning to Lily apologetically "I'm sorry, it's the first time that everyone's got together like this since Christmas break. Did you still want to chat some more about the group?"
A quick glance towards the table suggested that sign ups was mainly done, with only a few people left in line. There enough in line however for them to have time enough to chat for a bit before he had to give a hand helping the others pack up.
