Chapter Two
Emma
“Ugh! I am going to be so late!” I gathered my things from the cabinet in the storage room and headed for the back door. “I’ll see you guys next week!” I shouted as I rushed through the employee entrance. I glanced over my shoulder as I made my way across the parking lot. Keefer’s Bar and Grille was situated adjacent to one of my favorite surfing spots and often times after work I’d grab my suit and board and catch a few waves before heading home. There was really no point in checking out the waves since I was already behind schedule, but it was a habit.
I hurried toward my car as fast as I could, dropping my apron in the backseat as I slid into the driver’s side and cranked it up. My shift at Keefer’s had ran over. Again. I actually couldn’t think of a time in my career at Keefer’s that I had gotten off of work on time. When it came to waiting tables, the odds of that happening were usually pretty slim.
Pulling out onto the highway, I slid my sunglasses on to shield my eyes from the bright sunshine. It was another perfect California day, so much so that I’d have much preferred slipping into my suit and going surfing instead of rushing to catch a flight traveling across country. But I knew my father was looking forward to going to Atlanta so he could visit his half-sister, Beth, courtesy of Beth’s daughter, Julia, who lived and worked for one of the major airlines in Los Angeles. Because of Julia, I was able to get two plane tickets for nearly nothing. Otherwise, there would have been no way we could have afforded the trip.
Thanks to Aunt Beth’s generosity, we weren’t going to have to pay for a place to stay either. She told us her home wasn’t in the greatest of neighborhoods, but there was plenty of room for us to stay and each have our own bed. While I hadn’t been around my Aunt Beth all that often growing up, Dad always said she was a good person even though they’d had a little bit of a falling out a few years prior. He didn’t talk about it much, so I was never really certain what caused it.
Personally, I felt a little odd staying with her, since I didn’t know her that well and she and Dad were still a little on the uncertain side in their relationship, but I couldn’t afford to turn down a free place to stay for the few days we were going to be there. Besides, my dad hadn’t been feeling so great in recent weeks, and I was hoping this trip was going to lift his spirits. Though we only had a few days, I had planned a couple of sights I wanted to see with him.
With a calming deep breath, I turned my car toward my father’s house, hoping he was already packed and ready to go. I had packed my suitcase the night before and loaded it in my car before heading to work. At which time I had also sent Dad a text to remind him he needed to be ready to go when I got off work. And another text during my lunch break to make sure he was, in fact, ready. We had precious little time to get to the airport an hour and a half before our flight.
Fortunately, he was waiting for me on the steps, walking with his suitcase in hand and a smile on his face to the car. “Hey, Emmabug.”
“Hey, Dad,” I replied as he climbed inside and shut the door, the endearing nickname always bringing a smile to my face. “Are you ready for our trip?”
“I was born ready,” he said, winking. “Let’s hit it.”
“Let’s hit it?” I grinned and threw the car in reverse, some of my concerns about his health melting away. ‘Where did you get that saying?” I asked.
“An old guy can pick up a thing or two from watching cable TV,” he joked.
I just smiled and shook my head. This trip was going to be good for the both of us.
We arrived at the Los Angeles airport in less time than I had expected. Thankfully, traffic hadn’t been as congested as I imagined it would be. Still, I knew I’d feel better once we were checked in and through the security checkpoints. I hurried to park the car so that we could catch the shuttle. After a shuttle ride that seemed to take twice as long as it should have, we arrived at the curb just outside the Delta hub and lugged our suitcases from the shuttle to check in.
“Hey, Julia!” I greeted my cousin as we approached the counter where the tall redhead was standing. Though we were not as close as we used to be, I still connected with my cousin a few times a year.
“Hi, Emma,” she said, waving me over to her line. “Uncle Joseph. I’m so glad you are going to see Mom.”
“I hope she feels the same,” my dad said with a forced laugh. Julia gave me an eye roll and looked back at her computer, no doubt feeling the same as I did regarding my father’s sense of humor over the tense situation we were heading into. She, too, knew Dad and Aunt Beth had been on the outs for years. Julia and I had talked about it a few times, neither of us one hundred percent sure how it had all started. Recently, I had felt it was time for them to mend their differences once and for all. The trip had been my idea, not just because of the feud but also because my dad needed a little something to lift his spirits and take his mind off of his own life for a bit.
“I have two tickets for standby,” Julia was saying, her smile apologetic. “You guys might not get to sit together, but you’ll be on the same flight for sure. It was the best I could do, Emma.”
“It will be fine,” I said, not very excited about being on standby. It meant a long wait. “Are you sure we can get on a flight today?”
“I’m positive,” she replied, handing me two tickets. “With it being a Monday afternoon, you should be on your way in no time.”
“Thanks, Jules,” I said, picking up my suitcase. “We really appreciate it.”
“Have fun! Tell my mom I said hello,” she called after us as Dad and I walked toward security, seeing a long line there as well.
“Looks like we are going to be professional waiters today, Emmabug,” Dad joked, his voice hoarse from a coughing fit earlier.
I gave him a soft smile. “Might as well get as comfy as we can get in an airport.” It was going to be a long day.