by Lynn, Brandy
“I’ll take some sweet tea, please.” Patty goes into the kitchen. I can hear her rummaging around in there.
“Ice or no ice, Callie?”
“Um, ice please,” I request. I get up to move toward the kitchen. I hate that Patty always has to take care of me. I know she says she doesn’t mind, but I don’t want to be a burden to her and my dad. They’ve been so amazing this past year. I have no idea what I would have done without them. Once I’m in the kitchen, I ask, “So is Dad still at work?”
“Oh, heaven’s no. He got home about an hour ago. He’s in the shower, but he should be out soon. Is everything okay?” Patty asks with genuine concern as she hands over my sweet tea.
Letting out a sigh, I respond, “Yeah, everything is okay. I just wanted to talk to you both if you had some time tonight.”
“Absolutely. You know we always have time for you, Callie.” Patty says it with so much sincerity; I feel my eyes mist over. I’m so lucky for them both. She never makes me feel like a burden. I’m so grateful to have them in my life.
“Oh, honey, please don’t cry. Whatever it is, it will be fine. And we’ll get through it together. Okay?”
“Yeah, okay. I know you’re right.” Sipping my sweet tea, I move back into the living room to wait for my dad to finish his shower. While I wait, I notice Patty has The Kardashians on the television, and I can’t help but get sucked into their crazy ass nonstop drama. It’s addicting. Don’t judge me. Mmmkay? This must be a repeat because this episode has Lamar coming over to hang out with Rob, and Khloe is feeling helluva uncomfortable. Can you say awkward? I laugh to myself at the craziness they display.
I hear my dad before I see him. Apparently, I zoned out while watching television and didn’t even realize he had walked right by me. “Babe, please tell me you’re not watching this shitty reality show again. I cannot take another marathon of these imbeciles. Please say it ain’t so.” He grabs his head in his hands, plugging his ears playfully.
Patty lights up at the sight of my dad. It’s so cute. Seeing them both happy is refreshing. I want someone to look at me the way they look at each other. Like no one else matters. Like the universe tips on its axis when your souls collide. Maybe someday. Not now. Not after everything. I need time. Time to heal. Time to find myself again. I lost Callie a long time ago, and I’m just now rediscovering her.
“Oh, Brice, stop it. I saw you secretly watching the marathon last weekend with me.” She giggles. Yes, giggles. They are adorable. So adorable it’s almost gross, but I laugh at their antics. He leans in and kisses her softly on her lips before turning to acknowledge me.
“Hey, Callie.” He pulls me in for a long hug, kissing me lightly on my forehead. “How did today go? I was hoping you were going to come by. I was actually telling Patty earlier how if I didn’t hear from you, I was going to come by tonight to check on you. You holding up okay, kiddo?” he asks, looking at me to gauge my answer.
“Yeah, I’m doing okay, Dad. I kinda broke down on Patty earlier.” I redden at my admission, embarrassed at myself for unloading on Patty.
“Don’t ever feel like that, honey. You know you can come to us about anything, right?” he asks earnestly.
“I do. Thank you guys so much for always being there. And to answer your question, Derrick was sentenced to twenty-nine years today. Thank God. To be honest, I don’t think it really sank in until I walked in and told Patty.” I look over at Patty, silently thanking her for holding me afloat as I had my mini-meltdown. She smiles softly at me with nothing but love and affection in her eyes. She knows what I went through with Derrick. Probably more so than my dad since she lived beside Derrick and me for a while before he decided to burn down our trailer and all my belongings.
“So—” I trail off. I look at them, assessing how what I’m going to say next will go. They’re both looking at me expectantly.
“What’s up, kiddo? Obviously, something is bothering you. Is it the sentencing?” my dad asks curiously.
“No. Nothing like that. I’m so relieved he’s gone. That he can’t hurt me or anyone else for a very long time,” I answer with honesty. “It’s just that I’m making some moves.” My dad quirks an eyebrow as he waits for me to continue. Patty is tapping her foot anxiously as I prepare my next statement. I decide it’s best to rip the Band-Aid off per se and just spit it out. “I’m moving out of your cabin, Dad.” I wait for his and Patty’s shocked expression, but to my surprise, it doesn’t come. Instead, he looks relieved. Hmm, I wasn’t expecting that. That was easier than I intended.
“That’s it?” he asks. “You were scaring the shit out of me. Had me over here thinking something was wrong. Thinking you were pregnant or had been diagnosed with cancer or worse.” He wipes a bead of sweat from his brow, and I realize I really had him scared. “Don’t scare me like that again, kiddo.” Patty rubs his back lightly, trying to calm his nerves.
“Sorry, Dad,” I respond meekly because I didn’t mean to make him so nervous. “I just thought you were going to be upset. You know, since you offered me your place and had been paying for it while I stayed there temporarily. I also didn’t want you to worry about me going far because I’m not. Just the other side of the park. It’s just … I want to be independent. Pay my own way. Make some moves. And I have more news,” I let out excitedly. “Nothing bad, I promise. Autumn called today from Tangles Hair Salon in town and GUESS WHAT? I got the job!” I jump up and down, squealing with elation at my fantastic news.
“Oh, my gosh, honey, that is awesome! I’m so proud of you,” Patty gushes with happiness at the news of my new job. I’ve been on the hunt for something permanent since I graduated from cosmetology school, and this is like a dream come true. Tangles is a high-end beauty salon that is well respected in the community. After my short internship, I was hoping they would offer me a full-time gig. It looks like it all worked out. I had started building my clientele, and I couldn’t be happier with their offer.
“I knew you would get it. Not a doubt in my mind, kiddo. They’d be a fool not to hire you,” my dad says with so much heart and conviction it makes my heart swell. You can tell he believes what he’s saying. It makes me so proud that he believes in me. All I’ve wanted to do since reconnecting with my dad is make him proud of me. And I’m doing it. Really doing it. He’s definitely full of pride.
“So as a result of my new job at Tangles and the sweet salary they offered me, I decided to talk to Edwin about a property here on the resort. Somewhere to call my own. And you are never going to believe it, but Hickory Creek Hideaway has an available room for rent. I guess it was very sudden because Julia Childs moved in with her boyfriend once he popped the question. So that leaves Natalia in need of a roommate. I’m so ecstatic. Not that I don’t love your little cabin, Dad, but you and I both know it’s super cramped in there, and it needs a lot of work. Plus, Hickory Creek Hideaway is right beside the water. It’s absolutely perfect,” I say with a dreamy sigh, thinking about my new home.
“You said an available room? So you’ll be sharing it with what’s-her-name, Natalie?” my dad asks keenly.
It’s Natalia, not Natalie, Dad.” I laugh a little at his attempt to pronounce her name. The downfall of having the maintenance man at Happy Endings Resort as your father? He knows everyone. And I mean everyone. And everyone knows him. So I’m rather surprised that Bess or Herbert, the old nosy couple across the way, haven’t told him yet. That’s where he gets most of his information. They’re the resident gossips, for sure. Or Ross, the security guard for Happy Endings Resort. He’s always getting the goods from him. They have this strange bromance that I just don’t understand.
“Yes, I’ll be sharing the house with Natalia. We’re already great friends, so it makes perfect sense. She, Summer, and I will actually be able to see each other more than once a month for our monthly girls’ night. Summer is always over there since she and Natalia work together. And now that Natalia and I are going to be roomies, it’ll be so much fun. Plus, tha
t cabin is HUGE! Three big bedrooms, two good sized bathrooms … basically, it’s fifteen hundred square feet of awesomeness,” I say with glee. Now, that may not seem like a lot of space to some, but when most cabins and trailers here are more or less a thousand square feet, it really is one of the nicest in the park. I seriously scored big! Most employees are offered trailers or the small cabins to rent at a deep discount when we work for the resort, but we were lucky when Edwin turned this rental into a staff cabin. Wordlessly, I thank Edwin for making this decision.
“I think that’s great, kiddo. Whatever makes you happy makes me happy,” my dad admits. It’s funny that, at nineteen, my dad still calls me kiddo. I guess it’s because he missed out on so much with me when he was falsely accused of my mother’s murder all those years ago. My uncle robbed him of being able to raise me by taking my mother away. And for that, I hope he rots in prison. And the sad part about it? My grandparents raised me and never once told me the whole story. The truth. My father didn’t deserve what they did to him. We missed out on so many years we’ll never get back, and it’s not fair. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my short nineteen years, it’s that nothing is fair. And life is not guaranteed. It’s a shame I’ve had to deal with so much bullshit in my lifetime. But I know he loves me and would do anything for me. I’m so happy he came looking for me upon his release. Not only did he find me, but he also found love with Patty. While Patty will never replace my mother, I love her all the same.
I smile in his direction. “Thank you for always supporting me. It means a lot. I’m all set. I start my new job on Monday, and I plan on moving over the weekend. Which leads me to my next question.” Looking at my dad, I give him what I hope are big puppy dog eyes.
“Ah-ha, the truth finally comes out.” My dad laughs a full-on belly laugh. “So what you really need me for is to help you move, right?” He winks in my direction, letting me know he’s pulling my leg. “Yeah, no problem. We can start first thing in the morning. The maintenance around the resort is caught up, so I have the weekend off. Patty has some things planned with a couple of her girlfriends, so I need something to keep me busy and out of trouble.” He winks.
“Yes, keep him busy all weekend. If not, he’ll be holed up in this trailer watching more Kardashian reruns.” We all bust out laughing as soon as this statement leaves Patty’s lips because my dad watching The Kardashians is downright gut-busting hilarious.
Chapter 5
Chance
Finally, the bus makes its final stop in Endings, South Carolina. I stand and stretch my legs. They ache from sitting for far too long. That’s the one thing about buses—it takes forever to get somewhere. I open the overhead compartment and pull my duffle bag down, careful not to be in anyone else’s space. I smile over at Beverly. In those eleven hours, she finished crocheting her newest grandson a baby blue blanket. “It looks great, Beverly. It was very nice to meet you. Thank you for being a great riding partner.” She beams with pride at the mention of the baby blanket.
“Oh, sweet Chance, if you ever need anything, you just let me know. If you’re in need of a job, there’s a community board right outside the front of the bus station. Be sure to check there. My granddaughter was able to find a job on that board cleaning houses. I’m sure there’s something there if you’re interested. Businesses are always leaving cards and flyers over there.”
“Thank you. I’ll definitely check it. Do you have someone picking you up?” I ask.
“Yes, my friend will be picking me up shortly,” she responds.
“Okay, just making sure. You take care, Beverly. Hopefully, I’ll see you around town.”
“Oh, I have no doubt.” She grins a toothy smile and waves as I start my trek down the aisle toward the exit. I step off the bus, relieved to finally be here, and take in my surroundings. Well, the good news is it looks like any other town. Small, quaint, and inviting. I knew I had a good feeling about my destination.
The smell of greasy diner food hits my nostrils, and immediately, my mouth follows suit and starts to water. I realize I haven’t eaten much besides the few mindless snacks I picked up during one of our quick stops. I can’t wait to eat some real food. Especially greasy food. I start toward the direction of the smell when I see the cute diner across from the bus station. I cross the street and pull the door open. Several smiling faces immediately greet me. What a relief. Everyone looks happy. There’s a buzz in the air. People laughing. No one looking at me strangely like I don’t belong in their town. “Hiya there. Welcome to Happy Endings Diner. Where you’re guaranteed a happy ending. Just one today?” the waitress asks as she walks over with a menu in her hand.
Laughing a little at her reference to a happy ending because my mind went straight to the gutter, I respond to her question. “Yes, just one please.” I’m sure they say that to everyone, but it’s quite possibly the most brilliant tagline I’ve heard.
“Follow me.” She leads the way toward the back wall. There’s a small two-seater booth in the corner by the window. “Is this okay, sir?” she asks sweetly.
Turning in my direction, she looks me right in the eye. It makes me a bit uneasy, but it seems it’s just the way the townspeople are. At least, the ones I’ve seen so far. Casually, I slide into the booth. “This’ll be fine. Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“My pleasure. I’m Natalia, and I’ll be taking care of you. Have you been here before or are you just passing through?” she asks with honest eyes as she lays my silverware down on a small rectangular napkin along with a menu. She’s pretty. Her dirty-blond hair has highlights, her bright baby blues are sparkling, and her body fills out her uniform in all the right places. She’s a little hottie. Not my type, but definitely a looker.
“I’m new here. Can you recommend your top seller? Something good and reasonably priced,” I ask politely as I scan the menu. Truth be told, I don’t have a lot of funds after purchasing my bus ticket, so I need to be cautious of how much I’m spending. Who knows when I’ll find work around here. At this point, I don’t even know where I’ll be sleeping tonight.
“Sure. Our All-American classic burger is our best seller. It’s a half-pound of delicious Angus beef aged to perfection. We top it with twelve-month aged sharp white cheddar cheese and pair it with a garlic-infused mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, red onions, and pickles. It also comes with your choice of french fries, a cup of our house soup, or a garden side salad. You can get the combo, which includes your choice of a beverage, non-alcoholic of course, all for nine dollars and ninety-ninety cents plus tax. It really is the deal of the century, if you ask me.” She finally takes a breath, and I realize this girl takes her job seriously and knows her stuff. My mouth waters at the thought of the burger’s description.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a burger. That sounds like heaven to me, Natalia.”
“Okay, great. And how do you want your burger cooked? A little pink or no pink?” she inquires.
“A little pink, please.” I silently wonder if she’ll remember all this since I don’t see her writing it down. I mean I’m liable to get a crispy chicken sandwich and soup, but I don’t mention it, since somehow, I think she’s got this. And as hungry as I am, I would swallow the chicken sandwich down without complaint.
“Which side would you like?”
“Definitely fries. With a side of ranch for dipping, please.”
“Sure, no problem. Lastly, your choice of drink? We have Pepsi products, sweet and unsweet tea, and fresh squeezed lemonade.”
“Mt. Dew would be great.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back with your drink once I put your order in.” She walks away, and I watch the sway of her hips. I know I said she’s not my type, but I can’t help it. I’m not a monk. I’m a guy, and she’s hot. She turns just then and catches me staring. I quickly look away but not before seeing the corner of her mouth tilt in a small smile. She caught me checking her out. Fuck.
Not even a full two minutes later, she’s back a
t my table with a tall glass of Mt. Dew. Immediately asking for a refill, I gulp the liquid down, not realizing just how thirsty I am. She rushes away and quickly brings back another. I smile, offering her a small, “Thank you,” before she scurries away to attend to her other tables.
I’m lost in my thoughts, checking out the scenery, when something scares the shit out of me. Feeling a vibration in my pocket, I jump a little from it, forgetting about the phone there. I pull out the iPhone and see that the vibration is just a text from Zeke.
Zeke: Yo, man. You make it okay? Your bus should have been there by now.
Me: Sorry, bro! I’m here. Forgot to text. Got distracted by the smell of real fucking food. I’m about to throw down. Thank fuck.
Zeke: Lmao. Enjoy your food, man. You deserve it. I just wanted to be sure you made it. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.
Me: Thanks. Appreciate it, man. As soon as I’m settled, I’ll call and catch up.
Zeke: Sounds good, man. Be safe.
Me: Always.
Just then, my food arrives, and it looks as good as it sounded when Natalia rattled off the dish. “Here you go. I brought some extra napkins, another refill, and your side of ranch dressing. Is there anything else I can get for you?” she asks sincerely.
“No, you’ve been great. Thank you so much.”
“Sure. I’ll be back in a few to check on you,” she declares before turning on her heel and heading back behind the counter to help the customer waiting to pay at the register.
I finish every single bite of my burger and fries. I take one last swig of my drink and pick up my napkin to wipe my face. Natalia appears by my side. She looks down at my plate and laughs a little at how clean it is. “Well, I guess it’s safe to say you liked it. Is there anything else I can get you? Dessert, perhaps?”
