say, but wasn’t sure if he should or not.
“Nothing, I guess I just see what Lisa sees.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of that.
“What does that mean?” Where was all of this coming from? And why now?
D. had no intention of elaborating. Instead, he returned to what he was doing and plainly stated, “You'll know when you see it too.” I would have pressed the issue more had Noah not entered the office right then.
“The money all good?” he asked, suddenly eager to get done.
“Yes. Let's lock up and go home.” D. dropped the last money bag into his safe and shut the door. Then he followed the two of us out of the office and out through to the front door, where we waited for a moment as he turned off the last of the lights and set the alarm before we all walked outside together. Noah and I watched as D. locked the doors and then we all said “good night” and went our separate ways. D. home to his lovely wife, Lisa and Noah and I to the nearest diner to satisfy our need for pancakes.
Noah and I had been going to the same diner for years. It was a small 24 hour hole-in-the-wall, that you would never think to go to, unless someone else told you about it. In our case, it had been one of the regulars at the bar. For months he invited us to breakfast on Saturday nights after closing, and every time we drove past the place without stopping. Until one Tuesday night after a concert, we both found ourselves too drunk to make the drive home. The diner was the only thing remotely within walking distance, so we linked arms and turned a five minute trek into a twenty-minute waltz as we zigzagged our way down the empty sidewalks. It had taken us so long to get there that the cold night air had begun to sober us up already by the time we got there. Still, we braved the rather frightening outer exterior and went inside, only to be greeted by the most delicious aroma I had ever smelled in my entire life. From then on, we were there nearly every night after work. Over the years, the late night breakfasts dwindled away as I graduated college and began working days, as a teacher. However, the cravings still hit me from time to time, and when they did, I was glad I knew where to go and who to go with.
I was elated to learn that nothing had changed as we walked in the doors and encountered that same delicious scent we had fallen in love with all those years ago. The enticing fragrance of warm pancakes, sausage, and fresh brewed coffee came wafting through the air. I even picked up the slightest hint of cinnamon. It was reassuring to know that even though the diner had nearly cleared out at this hour, the kitchen hadn’t stopped.
We made our way through the empty aisles of booths and wandered all the way to the back, to sit in our usual spot away from the bulk of the tables. Noah and I had barely sat down, when a familiar face approached the table.
“Haven't seen the two of you in while!” It was Terry. She had been our waitress from that very first night. Seeing her was like seeing an old aunt you never made the time to see and always planned to make more time for after being around her.
“Hey, Terry.” I fought the urge to stand back up and give her a hug.
“You two kids know what you want?” We knew the menu inside and out and yet I always felt compelled to read through it front to back before I ordered.
“You order, then I'll decide,” I said to Noah, who hadn’t even opened his menu.
“Ok, I'll have the scrambled egg combo, please.” The words shot out of his mouth in an instant and he turned back to me, now rolling his eyes at my need to read a menu I had already memorized. However, hearing his order had helped me decide.
“Perfect. Then I will have the egg and ham sandwich with half fries and half onion rings. Oh, and can I please get a side of mayo, BBQ and ketchup too?”
“Sure thing, hon'.” Terry was scribbling down notes on a little pad with paper so old and worn, it was almost shredding at
“Nothing, I guess I just see what Lisa sees.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of that.
“What does that mean?” Where was all of this coming from? And why now?
D. had no intention of elaborating. Instead, he returned to what he was doing and plainly stated, “You'll know when you see it too.” I would have pressed the issue more had Noah not entered the office right then.
“The money all good?” he asked, suddenly eager to get done.
“Yes. Let's lock up and go home.” D. dropped the last money bag into his safe and shut the door. Then he followed the two of us out of the office and out through to the front door, where we waited for a moment as he turned off the last of the lights and set the alarm before we all walked outside together. Noah and I watched as D. locked the doors and then we all said “good night” and went our separate ways. D. home to his lovely wife, Lisa and Noah and I to the nearest diner to satisfy our need for pancakes.
Noah and I had been going to the same diner for years. It was a small 24 hour hole-in-the-wall, that you would never think to go to, unless someone else told you about it. In our case, it had been one of the regulars at the bar. For months he invited us to breakfast on Saturday nights after closing, and every time we drove past the place without stopping. Until one Tuesday night after a concert, we both found ourselves too drunk to make the drive home. The diner was the only thing remotely within walking distance, so we linked arms and turned a five minute trek into a twenty-minute waltz as we zigzagged our way down the empty sidewalks. It had taken us so long to get there that the cold night air had begun to sober us up already by the time we got there. Still, we braved the rather frightening outer exterior and went inside, only to be greeted by the most delicious aroma I had ever smelled in my entire life. From then on, we were there nearly every night after work. Over the years, the late night breakfasts dwindled away as I graduated college and began working days, as a teacher. However, the cravings still hit me from time to time, and when they did, I was glad I knew where to go and who to go with.
I was elated to learn that nothing had changed as we walked in the doors and encountered that same delicious scent we had fallen in love with all those years ago. The enticing fragrance of warm pancakes, sausage, and fresh brewed coffee came wafting through the air. I even picked up the slightest hint of cinnamon. It was reassuring to know that even though the diner had nearly cleared out at this hour, the kitchen hadn’t stopped.
We made our way through the empty aisles of booths and wandered all the way to the back, to sit in our usual spot away from the bulk of the tables. Noah and I had barely sat down, when a familiar face approached the table.
“Haven't seen the two of you in while!” It was Terry. She had been our waitress from that very first night. Seeing her was like seeing an old aunt you never made the time to see and always planned to make more time for after being around her.
“Hey, Terry.” I fought the urge to stand back up and give her a hug.
“You two kids know what you want?” We knew the menu inside and out and yet I always felt compelled to read through it front to back before I ordered.
“You order, then I'll decide,” I said to Noah, who hadn’t even opened his menu.
“Ok, I'll have the scrambled egg combo, please.” The words shot out of his mouth in an instant and he turned back to me, now rolling his eyes at my need to read a menu I had already memorized. However, hearing his order had helped me decide.
“Perfect. Then I will have the egg and ham sandwich with half fries and half onion rings. Oh, and can I please get a side of mayo, BBQ and ketchup too?”
“Sure thing, hon'.” Terry was scribbling down notes on a little pad with paper so old and worn, it was almost shredding at
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