AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mak wasn’t any closer to having his own restaurant and hampered by sudden financial limitations. Covid has driven the cost of property sky high. Buyers move quickly in bidding wars. The space he can now afford is smaller. Then our dreams met at an intersection.
I would have lost the best colleague and employee I ever had. He runs the place like it was his own, as if he already was my partner. When I presented the idea that instead of looking for his own place, he buy into mine, he jumped. It made us both happy. Now he will have half of a bigger pie and I can leave knowing it will be in the best hands. The money he’s paying will fund a place in Hawaii. I’m already thinking of where to look.
Couldn’t tell Leilani or Alana aboutanyof it. My influence can’t be a part of my daughter’s decision. And I don’t want to get Leilani’s hopes up just to dash them. Because if one thing falls apart, or is rejected, there will be no leaving. Not for the foreseeable future anyway. Plan B would take affect. Hold steady till Alana graduates high school, then sell the restaurant, and eventually get my ass back to Hawaii. Pray to God Leilani is still there when I do. Fuck. Hate Plan B.
I hear her coming in the door, as I chop the last of the vegetables for roasting.
“Hi, honey!”
“Hi.”
The vibrancy she picked up in Hawaii must have been with the lost luggage. It took a day to get three suitcases delivered, but Alana’s spirit has not been found yet. The kid’s trying though. Every day I see the effort to sell happiness.
“I’m making high roasted veggies.”
“Do we have chicken? I can do it in the air fryer.”
“Yeah. Breasts and thighs. Uncle Mak’s coming for dinner.”
“Okay, good. I’m going to get out of this thing,” she says, heading for the bedroom.
Even though the navy and white uniform looks really cute on her, she hates the hell out of it. I can tell. Sometimes I see the other girls trying to jazz it up or add a little of their own personalities to the outfit. Not my girl. She wears it like prison garb.
I drizzle olive oil over the mixture of carrots and onions, zucchini, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. The array of colors is appealing. Pretty soon the aroma will be too. I mix it together, making sure each piece and slice is coated. Then season with garlic powder and salt. Done.
“I feel like myself now.”
Alana enters the kitchen, iPad in hand. She sits at the table.
“Homework already? You have the whole weekend. Take a rest.”
Her eyes meet mine.
“I want to get it done beforeNinety Day Fiancé. It’s a new episode tonight.”
The pan gets put into the preheated oven.
“There’s got to be something better to do on a Friday night.”
The silence is deafening.
“Any plans for tomorrow? Besides reality TV?”
“Nope.”
The firmness she says it with sounds like, ‘No, and I will be accepting no further inquiries.
Lucky for us both, the doorbell sounds.
“I’ll get it!”
At least seeing my brother brings a smile. She swings the door open.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Nothing. My life is as boring as last time I saw you.”
“You’re too young to be bored. Can’t you find some trouble to get into?”
