The lunch hour having just past, a little diner on the edge of Terrace Park began to dwindle in clientele. Dishes left scattered about the tables, bits of food or silverware discarded on the floor, and the kitchen burning like the flames of hades. As the last happy "ching" of the cash register sounded and the bells attached to the entrance clattered against the glass, a lone woman stood in the wreckage and heaved a sigh.
She's sitting at the table, the hours getting later.
He was supposed to be here, she's sure he would've called.
Human Ref
Her blonde and orange streaked hair was pulled back into a bun that had now lost much of it's hold and hung heavily against the back of her skull. her eyes were weary and rimmed in black from sleeplessness and her once white cooks apron was stained to the point of yellowing. She gathered the hem of it to wipe excess grease off her hands.
"Alright Alana, last thing before you go back to school--could you go upstairs and check on your brother for me?"
[Ref coming soon]
A shock of navy hair popped up from the kitchen window and the grinning face of a young preteen nodded.
"Sure mom. You sure I have to go back? Because, you know..."
"Nice try young lady, but you have to go back to school." There was a mock humph before Lana disappeared from the window and reappeared near what appeared to be a hallway door. She discarded of her own, considerably more white apron on the nearest booth before turning the knob and ascending up the stairs, door swinging closed behind her.
She waits a little longer, there's no one in the driveway.
No one's said they've seen him.
Why, is something wrong?
Kasari grinned up at her growing girl and shook her head as she began rounding up dirty dishes and making run after run into the kitchen to deposit them in the sink. They could be done later, right now she had to get this place looking ready for the dinner rush.
It had been a hard life ever since...well. Ever since that day. The day Prudii had ushered Alana out of the room and sat with Kasari, telling her as delicately as he could that Trinket was missing in action. probably dead. That he and his brothers would try and help she and Alana as best they could. That everything would be alright. Well, very little had been alright.
She looks back to the window; suddenly the phone rings.
A voice says something's happened, that she should come right now.
First came Alana's nightmares, the eight year old having vivid dreams about what had possibly became of her 'father' --waking up and screaming in terror. She and Kasari had spent many nights sitting in the light of her nightlight, just talking or looking silently through picture books to pass the lonely midnight hour. Then the biggest shock of all--pregnancy. She had attributed the signs to signs of grief...but nothing could be that kind or simply. Several months later the single mother once again welcomed a baby into the world, again without the father by her side, and again down on her luck.
Prudii had been true to his word--he had helped fund her to open the diner and built an apartment on top of it to house she and the kids as well. The diner was good enough--they always had food on hand, the money was enough to break even and have a little leftover, and it was close enough to the schools that the principal allowed Alana to come help her mother during the noon rush.
Her mind goes to December. She thinks of when he asked her...
They talk about what happened, but she can barely hear them.
Looking out one window as she began wiping down tables, Kasari saw her own tears hit the table without having realized she'd began crying.
Milo, her year and a half year old son, reminded her daily of Trinket. She couldn't love either more, but the constant reminder that he wasn't there to know his own son cut her through the heart. She quickly wiped away the tears and sprayed the table down again. Alana would be coming down any minute now and she didn't need to see her mother crying.
Please just remember, even if I'm not there, I'll always love you.
Forever and always.
[1][1]
(Song lyrics from Forever And Always by Parachute)
She's sitting at the table, the hours getting later.
He was supposed to be here, she's sure he would've called.
Human Ref
Her blonde and orange streaked hair was pulled back into a bun that had now lost much of it's hold and hung heavily against the back of her skull. her eyes were weary and rimmed in black from sleeplessness and her once white cooks apron was stained to the point of yellowing. She gathered the hem of it to wipe excess grease off her hands.
"Alright Alana, last thing before you go back to school--could you go upstairs and check on your brother for me?"
[Ref coming soon]
A shock of navy hair popped up from the kitchen window and the grinning face of a young preteen nodded.
"Sure mom. You sure I have to go back? Because, you know..."
"Nice try young lady, but you have to go back to school." There was a mock humph before Lana disappeared from the window and reappeared near what appeared to be a hallway door. She discarded of her own, considerably more white apron on the nearest booth before turning the knob and ascending up the stairs, door swinging closed behind her.
She waits a little longer, there's no one in the driveway.
No one's said they've seen him.
Why, is something wrong?
Kasari grinned up at her growing girl and shook her head as she began rounding up dirty dishes and making run after run into the kitchen to deposit them in the sink. They could be done later, right now she had to get this place looking ready for the dinner rush.
It had been a hard life ever since...well. Ever since that day. The day Prudii had ushered Alana out of the room and sat with Kasari, telling her as delicately as he could that Trinket was missing in action. probably dead. That he and his brothers would try and help she and Alana as best they could. That everything would be alright. Well, very little had been alright.
She looks back to the window; suddenly the phone rings.
A voice says something's happened, that she should come right now.
First came Alana's nightmares, the eight year old having vivid dreams about what had possibly became of her 'father' --waking up and screaming in terror. She and Kasari had spent many nights sitting in the light of her nightlight, just talking or looking silently through picture books to pass the lonely midnight hour. Then the biggest shock of all--pregnancy. She had attributed the signs to signs of grief...but nothing could be that kind or simply. Several months later the single mother once again welcomed a baby into the world, again without the father by her side, and again down on her luck.
Prudii had been true to his word--he had helped fund her to open the diner and built an apartment on top of it to house she and the kids as well. The diner was good enough--they always had food on hand, the money was enough to break even and have a little leftover, and it was close enough to the schools that the principal allowed Alana to come help her mother during the noon rush.
Her mind goes to December. She thinks of when he asked her...
They talk about what happened, but she can barely hear them.
Looking out one window as she began wiping down tables, Kasari saw her own tears hit the table without having realized she'd began crying.
Milo, her year and a half year old son, reminded her daily of Trinket. She couldn't love either more, but the constant reminder that he wasn't there to know his own son cut her through the heart. She quickly wiped away the tears and sprayed the table down again. Alana would be coming down any minute now and she didn't need to see her mother crying.
Please just remember, even if I'm not there, I'll always love you.
Forever and always.
[1][1]
(Song lyrics from Forever And Always by Parachute)