Besides, I had been up early already and likely wasn’t getting home until midnight. The diner stayed open until eleven on weeknights and sometimes later if there was a rush. I didn’t want to have to walk home on tired legs and a lack of sleep.
I made it to work just before one and pulled into the driveway excited by what I saw. Rebecca’s car was parked there. I had given her the morning off on the schedule I’d updated from Chicago. I planned on Finn running the place that morning, since Mondays were usually pretty slow in the mornings, and I would get there in the midst of the lunch rush. But her car was there and I hopped out of my car and ran inside, making a mental note that I still had to unload the damn thing.
Rebecca was sitting at the counter, Eloise’s car seat in the seat next to her, gently rocking her as she sipped a water and talked to one of the other waitresses. As soon as I came in, she saw me and smiled, and I ran directly over to hug her. Then I scooped the baby out of her car seat and held her, bouncing as I laughed at Rebecca rolling her eyes.
“Here I thought you would be happy to see me,” she said.
“I am!” I said. “I just also am happy to see little Eloise.”
“I get it,” she said. “She has new baby smell.”
“It’s the best,” I groaned, smelling the top of her tiny little head.
“It really is,” Rebecca said. “I wanted to chat with you for a minute before I headed out.”
“Did you come in to work this morning?” I asked.
Rebecca nodded. “I brought Eloise in, and she hung out in the office. I figured you wouldn’t mind since we talked about it. Finn called me about seven, said it was busy, and asked if I wanted the hours.”
“Oh, well busy is good,” I said.
“Yeah, it is,” she said. “I’m still not picking up any hours at the tattoo shop right now since I can’t bring Eloise there. I was wondering if it was okay if I picked up a few more day shifts here, as long as I can bring the baby in. I’m not ready to go full time yet, but I’m getting a little antsy sitting around the house all day.”
“Sure,” I said. It was going to be hard to try to hide the elation at the idea, so I didn’t bother. “You can get as many hours as you want. I was thinking I might have to hire another part-timer for the day shifts, but if you can take up around half or more of those hours, then I think I can figure out the rest.”
“That sounds like it might work,” she said.
“No worries,” I said. “We can play it by ear.”
I went behind the counter, clocked in on the computer beside the register, and then went about doing some of the administrative duties I had while continuing to chat with Rebecca. Even if she wasn’t ready to come in more often than sporadic shifts, it was nice to have her around once in a while just to chat. It made me feel less alone to see someone who looked like myself a little.
When Rebecca ended up leaving, I went full bore into work, throwing myself into it to pass the time away and not think too much. Finn had done a great job keeping the place going while I was gone, and I was thankful for that. Rebecca was able to check in and keep an eye on the floor, and apparently Mom had come in to do the same, but Finn was the one in charge most of the time I was in Chicago.
I found myself smiling more often than usual all day. I ended up in the kitchen, relieving Finn for a long lunch and handling the rest of the lunch break on my own. It was soothing, even cathartic, to be in the kitchen during a busy time again. I hadn’t really experienced that since leaving Chicago and I forgot how much of a rush it was.
I was born to be able to handle the intensity of a busy kitchen, and even though making primarily generic diner food wasn’t exactly a Michelin-star menu, it was fun and, best of all for me, busy.
As Finn arrived back in the kitchen, I watched him eye me suspiciously while he put on his apron and took up a place on the prepping station behind me. I moved with a speed I hadn’t in quite some time and wordlessly went about making dishes without any input from him, save from grabbing a handful of chopped onions to toss in a pan that he had just prepared.
“Alright,” he said as I stuck another plate in the window and grabbed a new ticket. “What’s going on with you? Are you drunk? High? Did you win the lottery?”