Drew
“HEY, JODI.” I nodded at the waitress at the counter before I slid onto one of the stools. The diner outside of campus was small, but they had a killer breakfast. After being up for half the night on my group project, I wanted some grease in my stomach before I went back to my apartment and passed out. School was a breeze before I became a graduate student. Now, it sucked, but I could glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Drew?” My groggy eyes turned to the familiar sultry voice behind me.
“Sara,” I croaked as my gaze met hers. “Good morning.”
“Good morning to you, too. You look like you’ve been up all night. Did you party too hard?” She tilted her head as she strolled up to the counter. How could anyone look this good in only a long sleeve T-shirt and leggings? Sara had natural beauty that radiated off of her every time I saw her. But I was only a friend and wasn’t supposed to notice. After complaining that so many girls were too open, I set my sights on one so tightly closed I'd need the jaws of life to get her to budge even a little.
“I wish,” I answered on a yawn. “Brian, Carlos, and I were finishing up our final project most of the night. I’m here to pick up an egg sandwich before I sleep the rest of the day.”
“Oh, okay then. Enjoy and get some sleep.” Sara frowned before she backed away.
“Hey,” I whispered before I caught her arm. “Why do you look like you were about to ask me something?”
A wave of shyness flashed in her eyes as she motioned to the back tables. “I’m here by myself and was going to ask you to join me.” She squinted at me with a cute as hell bashful smile.
“Join you? That sounds like socializing. Sure you’re up for it?” I arched an eyebrow, loving the scowl I received in return.
We’d hung out a couple of times after I bribed her into coffee. Usually during or sometimes after my shifts in the lab. I was coaxing her out of her hardened shell little by little. From the small things I’d gotten her to share, I got the feeling she’d been alone with her daughter so long she didn’t know how to reach out to anyone else. An insignificant thing like an invite to breakfast was a big deal where she was concerned.
“Very funny.” Her eyes rolled. “Go home and get some sleep.”
“No, no. I’m not one to refuse such a nice invitation. Lead the way.”
Sara fought a smile as she jerked her head toward her table in the back. I followed, willing myself to keep my eyes north of her waist.
“What brings you here alone?” I asked as I slid into the booth across from her.
“I don’t know,” she shrugged as she leaned her elbows onto the table. “I was up early and didn’t feel like a bowl of cereal from our kitchen. You kept saying how good breakfast was here, so . . .”
“You listened to me?” I clutched my chest. “Wow, I’m impressed.”
“Surprised me, too.” Her lips stretched into a wide smile, making the air whoosh right out of my lungs. When the smile made it to her eyes, she was the definition of breathtaking. Whatever life did to her made that smile hard to come by. It was the second time I’d seen it, but I knew it was as rare as it was beautiful—like a shooting star.
“I used to take Victoria to the diner by us once a month on a Sunday morning. She loved stuffed French toast.” She fidgeted with the silverware next to her plate. “That and dance school were my big splurges.”
“Think of all the French toast you can buy her when you’re a big fancy chef.” I tapped her wrist to make her look up. “And I bet she lived for those Sundays. My mom used to take me to the comic book store once a month before she met my stepdad. I still remember those as the best days.”
“Comic book store?” She crinkled her nose.
“No self-respecting computer nerd doesn’t know his comics.” I leveled eyes at her.
“Does your little sister like comics, too?”
“Cassie? She likes girly stuff. Dolls, Hello Kitty; she still sleeps with the Pinkie Pie My Little Pony doll I gave her year ago. Although, I snuck in a Wonder Woman comic book in her stocking last Christmas and she didn’t hate it. I took that as progress.”
Her eyes welled with tears, but she blinked them away. “Victoria loves Wonder Woman. That’s the theme of her room at her father’s house.”
“Maybe they should meet one day. She could help me convert my sister.”
“Maybe,” she whispered and offered a smile, but a forced one this time.
“Who knew that I’d have to leave her to give her a good life.” She pinched her eyes shut and groaned. “Sorry, Drew. You came in for eggs, not a sad story.”
I reached for her hand across the table and gave it a squeeze. “That’s not true. And even though I’d never met Victoria, I’m sure she’d agree. You gave her the best life you could, and now you’re working your ass off to make it even better. Chin up, Caldwell.” I tapped her chin with my knuckle and was rewarded with a real laugh.
“I FaceTimed with her this morning and she told me all about her father’s wedding yesterday. The pictures looked beautiful and she looks like she . . . fits with them. I’m afraid after this year is up she’ll think she doesn’t fit with me anymore.”
The defeated look in her eyes made me want to rise from my seat and wrap my arms around her. She came off as cold, but I’d bet that was because no one took the time to see how she was or gave a shit as to how she was feeling.
“You have something they don’t. They can give her all the iPads in the world and decorate her room any way they want. They aren’t her mom. She’ll always fit with you, Sara.”
Our food came and brought a welcomed halt to our heavy conversation.
“You’re pretty wise,” Sara noted as she poked at her scrambled eggs.
My mouth fell open. “Did you just pay me a compliment? Look at you being social AND pleasant.”
She gave me a wry grin. “I mean, wise for a comic book geek. Marvel or DC?”
I tapped my chin. “Probably DC. I’ve always been a huge Batman fan. The Dark Knight should have won the Oscar for Best Picture.”
“Of course, it should have.” She nodded with a hint of a smile. “I’m glad I found you here today.” She said it so softly it was almost inaudible.
“I’m glad you did, too. You know, you’re pretty when you smile. Beautiful, actually. You should try it more often.”
She scoffed and rolled her eyes.
“See, that?” I jutted my chin in her direction. “That, not so much.” She laughed around the rim of her coffee cup.
“You can find me here on Saturdays or Sundays usually. Want to make eggs and sad stories a regular thing?”
She peered up at me, showing a hint of the smile I was starting to yearn for.
“I’ll try to keep the sad stories to a minimum, but . . . sure, why not?”
I dropped my head, smiling to myself. I’d get through those walls she caged herself in, one tiny crack at a time.