Cristie sat in her chair, her gaze having shifted back to the food Remi had taken the time to pack for her. A few new tears spilled over her lashes and she sniffled again.
“There’s no time limit on getting things right. Don’t you know that?”
Cristie sipped her tea again. “Maybe,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry about the first patients this morning. Trey and I can handle it. You sit here and eat a little, get yourself together. Come help us whenever you’re ready.”
“Thanks, Alex.”
“You’re welcome. And, Cristie? It’ll be fine.”
“I hope so,” Cristie said.
Alex walked back down the hallway before she heard Cristie call out.
“Alex!”
Alex backed up to Cristie’s door again. “You rang?”
“Yes. I’m going to need tomorrow off. I have to wait for the delivery truck to bring all my new things to Remi’s.”
“Your new things?!” Alex asked.
“No, Remi’s new things.”
“You just said your new things.”
“No, I didn’t. Did I?” Cristie asked.
“You did.”
“Oh, well, no, I meant Remi’s new things.”
“Not a problem. I’ll see you the next day.”
“Thanks, Alex.”
“You’re welcome, Cristie. Enjoy,” she said, winking at Cristie and walking away again.
~~~
The next morning about 8:30 in the morning, Cristie walked into the restaurant with her coffee already in her hand. She smiled at everyone as she walked through, but it wasn’t quite the same greeting as she gave those she saw first thing every morning. She went straight to the kitchen, announcing herself, like they didn’t know she was there. “I’m here!” she said brightly, looking around but not seeing Remi.
“You’re a little late this morning,” Richie said.
“I have the day off!”
“Oh, lucky you,” Richie said, winking at her.
She looked around, expecting Remi to walk out of the chiller, or even the storage area in the back, but the longer she stood there, the more sure she became that he wasn’t in the kitchen at all.
“Oh, today’s the day Remi’s furniture is coming, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is. I’m going to go over and wait for the truck so he doesn’t have to take any time off. But if he already took the day off, then I guess there doesn’t really have to be two of us there.”
“He didn’t take the day off. He helped open up this morning, then ran a quick errand. He’ll be back any minute. Though he did promise to work the dinner shift for me so I can take tonight off.”
“That was nice of him.”
