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“Are you sure?”
“My world is so dark right now.” I shook my head, glancing somewhere behind him as though trying to grasp something I couldn’t see. “She’s all I’ve had for the past ten years. Now, I think I’m lost.”
When my gaze returned to him, I found pain in his eyes. “I understand…” Squeezing my shoulder, he just looked at me like he wished he could erase this for me. “I hate to see you like this. You are such a decent young man… I’m sorry.”
“I think,” I began, looking around the house. “I think I know someone who could be great to manage the Subway. She’s responsible, fair, and caring, and she has worked in restaurants before.”
“Who is it?” he asked, curiosity filling his expression.
“Mrs. Reyes. She has a car and has never been late in her life.”
“And you say she has experience?”
Nodding, I pointed to her, where she was serving drinks to some of the guests. “Mrs. Reyes, Rosa, has worked in restaurants for over twenty years. She’s done everything but manage before, so she knows the ins and outs of the business. I have no doubt she could run the whole place better than I ever could.”
Sighing, Mr. Di Rossi glanced towards her then back at me. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Taking a calming breath, I nodded,letting go… “I don’t know where to go from here.”
“Okay. If you recommend her, that is good enough for me. She can be trained.” His hands cupped my face as he looked into my eyes. “But just know that you will always have a job with me, if you are ever ready to come back. It doesn’t matter when that is, you are family, Braxton.” Kissing my forehead, he stepped back, walking towards the place where Mrs. Reyes stood.
Jose and Patricia came to my side then. Holding my hands, they offered a prayer in Portuguese for my mom, and promised to be there for me for anything I needed.
Nick, Sam, and Peter walked up to me next, each giving me a bro hug. “We are really sorry for your loss,” Nick offered, patting my back and leaning away.
“Thank you. If you are all here, who’s working the Subway?”
“Dude, seriously? Don’t worry about it,” Sam chided.
“Nonno brought people from the second location. Don’t worry,” Nick answered at the same time.
“Josh called that he’s almost here,” it was Peter who spoke. “He was taking care of something and picking up Rebecca.”
“That’s fine. He doesn’t need to come.” I shrugged. I really didn’t want to face anyone else. The three of them exchanged a concerned glance. “I’m going to go upstairs to lay down for a bit. I’m drained. I haven’t really slept since… well, since I got that call.”
“Of course.”
Seeing them nod, I turned around and went upstairs.
A familiar creaking sound reached me when I closed the door behind me, my gaze falling on the small room. I wasn’t sure why, but it felt like the last thing that tethered me to this place had ruptured. I didn’t belong here. Not anymore.
My steps took me to the bed, and I reached for the poster on my wall, ripping it and crumpling the once inspiring landscape between my hands. It landed in the trashcan as I let my body fall, sitting on the mattress.
Numb.
An icy storm had taken over me, and the only thing I felt was lost.
Resting my forearms on my knees, I held my hands before me and just sat there, absently staring at the floor. That was the right word. Absent. I was somehow absent from the world. Like a part of me was no longer there…
Until a knock came at the door.
“Hey,” Josh called, slowly pushing the door open just enough to sneak his head inside. “Can we come in?”
Taking a strengthening breath, I nodded, but didn’t stand. He let Rebecca come in first, then stepped inside, whispering something I couldn’t understand to someone in the hall. Rebecca crouched to give me a small hug, and I accepted it, seeing Josh close the door once more.
“I know it doesn’t really help to hear this, but I’m truly sorry for your loss,” Rebecca offered, kissing my cheek and straightening again.
I appreciated her but I didn’t want to hear it anymore. I was so tired of those words. No one knew what I was truly going through. Not even I.
