“Some things never change, like your totally bizarre breakfastorder.” Alex leaned back in the booth, a sigh escaping her lips. “Do you still stack it all together like some kind of intricate breakfast puzzle?”
“What can I say?” Sam grinned. “Pancakes make everything better. And I just love fries.” She shrugged. “And of course I do. It’s all about the ratios, you know?”
After a few minutes, the waitress delivered their coffees and some waters. Sam was pleasantly surprised that the waitress brought real maple syrup when she asked for it. She stirred some into her coffee and took a grateful first sip.
“How’s the house coming along?” Alex leaned in over the table, placing her elbow on the table and resting her chin in her hand.
“You know, it’s just about done,” Sam answered. “The work that you did, and getting the boys to help, well, it really put me so far ahead of where I thought I’d be by now.”
Alex didn’t say anything in return, and they lapsed into a slightly awkward silence. Sam felt the weight of what was going to be looming between them very soon. She didn’t feel ready to face that yet, so she decided that the safest thing to do was to change the subject. “How’s Sophie?”
Alex’s eyes lit up at the mention of her daughter. “She’s doing great. She’s having a blast with her dad. They went camping for a few days in the mountains, and Scott taught her how to fish.” Her eyes sparkled with pride and affection. “I swear, there’s nothing that kid can’t do.”
“I’m sure she takes after you,” Sam said. “You’re amazing.”
“You don’t have to say that.” Alex blushed and looked down at her hands.
“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.” Sam reached across the table and lightly rested her fingers on Alex’s arm. “And how’s living with your parents?”
Alex took a deep breath before exhaling. “Well, that’s been an adjustment, obviously. No one expects to be living back home with their parents at this age.” She shrugged. “But it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. It’s been so nice to have them around to help with Sophie.” She looked up at Sam, face unreadable. “Besides, I’m hoping that it’s only temporary.”
“Here we go…” The waitress set down several plates between them. The interruption was a welcome reprieve from the weighty direction the conversation seemed to be going.
“Need anything else?” she asked, looking between them.
Sam and Alex both shook their heads. They gazed at the spread in front of them before eagerly digging into their breakfasts. Sam exhaled, feeling herself relax. Conversation was put on hold for now.
As she ate, Sam stared out the window at a group of teenagers kicking a ball around in the small park. “Looking at them reminds me of us,” she said, gesturing with her head toward the group.
Alex turned to watch them, a smile creeping across her face. “That feels like a lifetime ago.” She chuckled, her eyes twinkling. “Remember the first time that we skipped school?”
Sam laughed, her shoulders shaking from the force of the memory. “How could I forget?” she said with a grin. “Your mom grounded you for like a week. And I got a lecture about being a bad influence.”
“Little did she know…” Alex raised an eyebrow. “It was worth it, though.” She reached out and touched Sam’s wrist. “Every moment with you was worth it.”
Sam turned her palm up and captured Alex’s hand with her own. “Yeah,” she whispered. “It was, wasn’t it?”
Alex looked down at their joined hands, a small smile playing on her lips. “I used to think about this a lot,” she said, lightly squeezing Sam’s hand. “What could have been, you know? If only…” Her voice trailed off.
“If only your mom hadn’t caught us?” Sam tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
“Yes, there’s that,” she admitted. “But also, it didn’t need to take twelve years.” Alex’s voice caught at the last words.
Sam looked up, her gaze searching Alex’s face, which now showed disappointment and sadness. Her chest ached at the thought of the life they could have shared—if Alex’s mother hadn’t caught them, if they had been braver and fought for their love back then. Or if they had been less stubborn as grown-ups.
Alex drew a shaky breath. “I’m sorry, Sam.” Her eyes flickeddown to their clasped hands on the table. “I only wish I had done something, anything, sooner.” Her shoulders lifted in a small shrug. “It didn’t need to be this complicated.”
Sam reached across the table and took Alex’s other hand, holding both gently and firmly in her own. Their eyes met across the table, and Sam could see the vulnerability and uncertainty in Alex’s eyes. All she wanted in that moment was to comfort her, to tell her that everything was going to be okay, thattheywould be okay. “It’s a lot to take in,” she admitted. “But it’s also kind of nice. We have a chance to start over. And yes, maybe things should never have ended in the first place, but all those years helped make us who we are today. And while there are things that I would change, I think we ended up exactly where we’re supposed to be.”
Alex smiled shyly at Sam in appreciation. “I guess life has a funny way of turning out, doesn’t it?”
The waitress returned to refill their coffees, breaking the spell. She didn’t seem fazed at seeing them holding hands across the table. “Can I get you anything else?” she asked, pen poised and ready.
“No, no, thank you,” Sam said, leaning back again in the booth. She looked up at the waitress. “This has been great.”
“No problem, ladies.” She paused to finish scribbling on her pad before tearing off a sheet and placing it on the table between them. “You can pay at the register when you’re ready.” She gestured over her shoulder toward a small counter by the door. She turned to leave, then paused and spun back around to face them. “You two make a lovely couple,” she said, winking. And with that, she was gone.
Sam watched her retreating form as it disappeared behind a swinging door. “Well, that was…”
