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After a while, we come across a small, tarnished keychain with a tiny, rusted key attached. My mother looks at it and then at me, puzzled. “I don’t remember this,” she admits.
“Maybe it’s just one of those things that found its way in here,” I suggest, tossing it into the trash bag.
My mother sighs and looks around the room, clearly exhausted. “I think we’ve done enough for today.”
I nod as I look at the empty nightstand. It could use a good cleaning, but it’s empty of all the things that held any significance to my father. “You’ve done great, Mom. Let’s take a break.”
We both sit there for a moment, as though unsure what to do with ourselves now that we’ve completed our mission for the day.
“Were you… able to get that job you interviewed for?” My mother asks, slowly rising. I follow her to the kitchen, chucking my empty can in the recycling.
“Yeah, I’ll start Friday. I need to ask how often I’ll work, but I’m just planning to pick up three or four shifts a week. I won’t be gone every night.”
“That’s good. I know that you need the money and the purpose, but I appreciate having you around here with me.”
I don’t know how to respond to my mother’s clear need, her expression of loneliness, so I change the subject instead. “I’m meeting up with Hannah on Sunday.”
My mom’s face lights up. “Oh, that’s wonderful! How is she?”
“She’s good. We haven’t had much time to catch up yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing her. It’s been almost two years.”
We fall easily into our typical conversation, and for a moment, it feels like my dad isn’t gone at all, like he might walk through the door from work in an hour.
“That’s good. You two always had such a strong bond. What about romance, Violet? Are you seeing anyone?” Her eyes widen slightly. “I didn’t pull you away from anything like that, did I?”
I hesitate, thinking about Jay. His image flashes in my mind—his dark eyes, his confident smile, the way he made me feel two nights ago. But I decide to keep him to myself. My mother might know a lot about me, but she doesn’t need to know about my one night stands. “No, no one serious. Just focusing on getting settled back here and helping you out.”
My mom nods, seemingly satisfied with my answer. “You’ll find someone when the time is right. You’ve got a good heart, and any man would be lucky to have you.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say, smiling at her. She pulls me into a hug, and I sense her grief. I close my eyes and revel in the familiar scent of my mother. It may feel like I’ve lost everything important in my life, but I still have my mom. She’s my one constant.
CHAPTER 5
JAY
Ishouldn’t feel nervous. It’s not like it’s my first day of work. With the turnover in the service industry, I’m hiring new cocktail waitresses and servers on a regular basis as kids finish college and move on with their lives.
But for some reason, knowing that Violet is going to be working right beside me makes me nervous.
I put some extra elbow grease into scrubbing at the counter, and Harold, my almost daily customer notices.
“Something got your tail feathers in a knot?” he asks.
I run a hand through my long hair to push it out of my face and paste on my customer service grin. “Just got a lot on my mind today.”
“Well, you know everything that’s going on in my life, what with me blathering to you all day. But you don’t tell me much about yours.” Harold’s voice is crackly with age, and it’s strange how I’ve come to consider him almost a friend despite the fact that most of the time, he’s “drunker than a fish in a whiskey barrel,” as he likes to say.
“I guess I’m not much of a talker,” I respond, moving away from Harold a little bit. The last thing I need is for Violet to come in for her shift and find me spilling my guts about how good the sex with her was.
“Doesn’t seem that way when an attractive lady comes in for a drink.” Harold winks dramatically at me, and I smile despite myself.
“I need to check on the food supply. People are going to get off work soon, and we’ll get busy. Are you good for a few minutes or should I get you another one?”
“Get me another one. You might disappear back into that kitchen, and I won’t see you for a month.”
Harold and I share a laugh as I grab him a Bud Light, open the top, and set it in front of him. Then, I head back into the kitchen to gather my thoughts before Violet arrives.
As soon as I step into the kitchen, I almost step back out. There’s Violet, already in my bar, wrapping a black serving apron around her waist. There’s no way she could have entered through the front door without me noticing.
