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As they hung coats on the backs of chairs and got settled, Meg noticed that each one was in dress clothes.
She came over with a tray of waters and a pot of coffee.
“How are you all doing today? Did you just come from church?”
“We did.” Hannah gave her one of her big smiles. “Meg, this is Rachel Anderson.” Hannah motioned to the woman who had come in with them. “Rachel, this is Meg.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Meg said. “Can I get you some coffee?”
“I would love some, thank you.” Rachel moved the mug at her place setting closer to Meg. “It’s nice to meet you, too. I’ve heard so much about the diner since I moved here and haven’t had a chance to come in until today.”
“Rachel works as a counselor at the Community Center and a volunteer chaplain as well,” Hannah offered. “She’s also coordinating the Miles for Mental Health Run I told you about.”
“That’s right. I’m happy to sign up for that.” Meg poured her some coffee and then did the same for Paul who held out his mug like he was in a desert and needed water. Meg smiled at the sleeping baby in his lap, a sure sign of why the man was in desperate need of caffeine.
“Hannah says you are quite the runner. It sounds like you could put some serious miles in for us and maybe win for most money raised.” Rachel smiled at her.
“I’m happy to participate.” Meg said. “I enjoy the Harvest Festival, and the fundraiser is for a good cause.”
“I think so,” Rachel said. “I would love to have more people at the Community Center. Silver Bay is such a great place, with so many wonderful people. It’s nice to have each other through the good times and the bad.”
A knot was forming in Meg’s gut. Was she being overly sensitive, or was Rachel making a point to her? Meg had had enough experience with people wanting her to talk through her feelings. But why was voicing something considered so important? Talking about things all the time didn’t change a situation. It didn’t make the pain go away.
“I’ll give you guys a minute with the menu. Franklin is pretty proud of the omelet selection today so make sure to check that out.” Meg turned and went behind the counter. Placing the coffeepot back on the warmer, she glanced at Rachel, who smiled at something Hannah said and then took a sip of her coffee.
Meg shook her head and reached for two plates that sat ready to be served at table four. Rachel wasn’t singling Meg out with her comments. She’d made a benign comment about the Community Center, that was all. Rachel was simply a nice person, not someone trying to point a finger at Meg saying, “This woman needs help.”
She served table four, then moved to the next table and wiped it down with a cloth that had been tucked in her back pocket. Buried emotions threatened to bubble up and cause trouble. With every swipe of the damp cloth, she tamped them back down.
It had been a little while since Meg had even considered talking about what happened. It wasn’t a secret that her father loved Silver Bay. Her mother, however, had never settled in. With the perspective of maturity, Meg recognized that her momhad likely been unhappy before the move and that uprooting her life to satisfy her husband may have been the last straw for the marriage. Her mom had loved them; Meg knew that. Would she have stayed if another man hadn’t come into the picture, offering her escape? Or had it always been just a matter of time? Perhaps the family destruction had been inevitable.
She tried to focus on the good memories, but a small part of her would always be a child who’d been abandoned by her mother.
And her poor dad. He didn’t speak of it, but how he must have hurt. There had been some in town who gossiped, but for the most part, people rallied around her dad and were protective of Meg and her brother. When she’d come back to claim ownership of the diner after her dad died, the reaction was about the same. A choice few gossiped over her leaving, but most were supportive of her returning home and respected her desire to move forward with her life.
The only reason Myles had gone to San Jose was because he wanted to experience a bigger city while in college. He ended up staying once he discovered he wanted to be a fireman.
He’d made friends and wanted a life there.
Meg had followed for many of the same reasons. Visiting Myles at school had been fun and following in his footsteps was something she’d done her whole life, so why stop?
“That table is clean now, honey.” Maureen was at her side, a gentle hand placed on her arm.
Lost in her thoughts, Meg had no idea how long she’d been standing there wiping the table. Heat rose in her cheeks at being caught daydreaming like that.
“Right. Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.” Maureen smiled. “I think your friends are ready to order though.”
Meg nodded. “Thanks.” She tucked the cloth into her back pocket. Outside the window people passed by, many of them families out for a Sunday stroll through downtown. The weather was perfect for it. She closed her eyes tight and pushed away the memories. They seemed to pop up more often than she’d like and at the most inopportune times. That was the past. This was her future. Silver Bay. The diner. It was hers. She had all she needed.
She took a deep breath and let it out. Taking her order notepad and pen from the pocket of her apron, she turned and went back to Paul and Hannah’s table.
“What can I get for you all?”
“Cake pans.” Meg smiled at Abby. Her feet stuck straight out from the chair. Her shiny pink dress shoes and tights, along with her frilly skirt, made her look like a doll.
“Pancakes it is.” Meg wrote the order on her notepad.
