frosty glasses on the table. It was cold and gloomy outside but the diner was nearly twenty degrees warmer—thanks to the grill and the fryers—and the cool beverage was welcome.
Besides, I wasn’t sure I trusted the coffee. I was pretty sure that pot was older than me.
We sipped at the tea, Sue watching me over the rim of her glass. Finally, she set the glass down. “Well?”
“Well what? Can’t I get hungry?”
“Yeah. And you’d go visit Mayor McCheese. Or get Garibaldi’s to deliver. You wouldn’t come down here without calling, with the lame excuse that you wanted to get the dogs bathed.” She stopped for breath, then added, “Especially that part about the dogs. You’re usually very good about checking my appointments first.”
“Thank you for recognizing that,” I replied lightly. “I am nothing if not kind and considerate.”
Sue snorted. “You know what I mean, Neverall. There’s something on your mind, and you’re stalling.”
Sue was right. I had made up my mind to trust someone—to trust her—but now that I was here it was hard to know where to start. How much did I have to tell her?
My life in San Francisco had been a taboo subject for a long time. I told myself I didn’t want anyone to know about the humiliation and failure, but now I did want to get at least some of it off my chest. While I was trying to figure out what—and how much—to say, Dee came hobbling out from behind the counter, two heavy white plates in her gnarled hands. She refused to surrender to the arthritis. She said working at the Lunch was what kept her going and she wouldn’t know what to do with her time if she quit.
She set a patty melt and fries in front of Sue, and a club sandwich with onion rings in front of me. It was the same thing we’d eaten every visit since we were in high school. There was something reassuring about a place where they knew what you wanted without asking.
I suspected what Dee would really miss if she retired was the chance to be in the middle of everything that went on in town. If Tiny’s was the local gathering place in the evening and on the weekends, Dee’s was the only place to get a decent breakfast or a quick lunch. It was usually busy from the first coffee at 6 A.M. to the last burger at 2. Everybody ate at Dee’s.
Including, I realized too late, Sandra and Gregory. Who were walking through the front door.
I must have looked as trapped as I felt. Sue’s eyes widened, and she whirled around quickly to see what had caused my reaction.
She turned back and shrugged. “Looks like we have some company.”
I grimaced.
Sandra spotted me, and dropped Gregory’s hand. She walked back to where Sue and I sat and gave my shoulder a quick squeeze. “I heard there was an accident, Georgiana. Are you okay? You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“No, Mother.” I looked up and saw real concern in her face. No matter how little we understood each other, I was still her only child.
I reached up and squeezed her hand. “I’m okay. Really.”
She looked at Gregory who waited at the counter, radiating impatience. “We’re just picking up sandwiches to take back to the office,” she explained, turning back to me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nodded and smiled. “Sure, Mom.” I hoped she would be reassured.
She looked from me to Gregory and back again. Dee was already putting food in a brown paper bag, and it was clear Gregory was in a hurry.
“Go on, Mom. Your food’s ready.”
My mother hesitated, her expression troubled.
“Really, Mom. I’m fine.”
“You will call me, Georgiana? Soon?”
I crossed my fingers under the table, like I’d done when I was eight years old. “Sure.”
Sue watched me closely, as if she could see through the table to my crossed fingers.
Mom gave me one last look. “Call me,” she repeated as she turned back toward the front door.
Gregory tossed some bills on the counter and followed my mother out the door without looking
Besides, I wasn’t sure I trusted the coffee. I was pretty sure that pot was older than me.
We sipped at the tea, Sue watching me over the rim of her glass. Finally, she set the glass down. “Well?”
“Well what? Can’t I get hungry?”
“Yeah. And you’d go visit Mayor McCheese. Or get Garibaldi’s to deliver. You wouldn’t come down here without calling, with the lame excuse that you wanted to get the dogs bathed.” She stopped for breath, then added, “Especially that part about the dogs. You’re usually very good about checking my appointments first.”
“Thank you for recognizing that,” I replied lightly. “I am nothing if not kind and considerate.”
Sue snorted. “You know what I mean, Neverall. There’s something on your mind, and you’re stalling.”
Sue was right. I had made up my mind to trust someone—to trust her—but now that I was here it was hard to know where to start. How much did I have to tell her?
My life in San Francisco had been a taboo subject for a long time. I told myself I didn’t want anyone to know about the humiliation and failure, but now I did want to get at least some of it off my chest. While I was trying to figure out what—and how much—to say, Dee came hobbling out from behind the counter, two heavy white plates in her gnarled hands. She refused to surrender to the arthritis. She said working at the Lunch was what kept her going and she wouldn’t know what to do with her time if she quit.
She set a patty melt and fries in front of Sue, and a club sandwich with onion rings in front of me. It was the same thing we’d eaten every visit since we were in high school. There was something reassuring about a place where they knew what you wanted without asking.
I suspected what Dee would really miss if she retired was the chance to be in the middle of everything that went on in town. If Tiny’s was the local gathering place in the evening and on the weekends, Dee’s was the only place to get a decent breakfast or a quick lunch. It was usually busy from the first coffee at 6 A.M. to the last burger at 2. Everybody ate at Dee’s.
Including, I realized too late, Sandra and Gregory. Who were walking through the front door.
I must have looked as trapped as I felt. Sue’s eyes widened, and she whirled around quickly to see what had caused my reaction.
She turned back and shrugged. “Looks like we have some company.”
I grimaced.
Sandra spotted me, and dropped Gregory’s hand. She walked back to where Sue and I sat and gave my shoulder a quick squeeze. “I heard there was an accident, Georgiana. Are you okay? You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“No, Mother.” I looked up and saw real concern in her face. No matter how little we understood each other, I was still her only child.
I reached up and squeezed her hand. “I’m okay. Really.”
She looked at Gregory who waited at the counter, radiating impatience. “We’re just picking up sandwiches to take back to the office,” she explained, turning back to me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nodded and smiled. “Sure, Mom.” I hoped she would be reassured.
She looked from me to Gregory and back again. Dee was already putting food in a brown paper bag, and it was clear Gregory was in a hurry.
“Go on, Mom. Your food’s ready.”
My mother hesitated, her expression troubled.
“Really, Mom. I’m fine.”
“You will call me, Georgiana? Soon?”
I crossed my fingers under the table, like I’d done when I was eight years old. “Sure.”
Sue watched me closely, as if she could see through the table to my crossed fingers.
Mom gave me one last look. “Call me,” she repeated as she turned back toward the front door.
Gregory tossed some bills on the counter and followed my mother out the door without looking
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