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“Oh yeah? Well, do you want to eat here for lunch or go to the bar?” I ask her offering her the only two places in town to eat.
She looks around the diner and scrunches her nose.
“Let’s go to the bar. I haven’t actually eaten there in a minute, and it would be a nice break from this place.”
I offer her my arm; she ropes hers through, I lead her out the diner and down the street to the bar.
Rather than going to my usual barstool, I lead her over to the booths in the back of the space.
For a few moments, we’re awkwardly quiet. After our lunch order is taken, our eyes lock and I smile.
“So, Madison,” I begin, “tell me a little about yourself?”
“Well, I’m basically an open book, what exactly do you want to know?”
“Have you always wanted to be a nurse?” I ask.
“Not always. Growing up, I wanted to be a business owner, but then when I lost my dad, I was influenced by the nurses at Hollybrooke General. So, I changed my mind on paths to take and began looking into my options in the medical industry.”
“Oh, I can see that. Is your dad okay?” I ask her.
“He passed, but those nurses were by far the most amazing people that I’d ever met. They were life changing for me, and I saw all the hard work that they put into their patients and their families.”
“Do you mind me asking how he passed?” I ask, hoping that I’m not prying too much.
She looks to the side, takes a deep breath and puts a forced smile on her face.
“He passed away from complications from a car accident. He was coming home from a business meeting in the city and just as he was about to leave the city, he was T-Boned by a drunk driver. The drunk driver also went to the hospital, but he only had a few broken ribs and a broken arm. But my dad had a lot of internal bleeding and a punctured lung that ultimately was the qualifying factor.”
“Oh shit, I’m so sorry. Were you able to see him before it all happened?”
“As soon as we got the call, mom and I went to HB General and yeah, we did get a chance. But I think that everything happened so quickly that I was just not understanding what really was going on.”
“Shit, well I’m sorry to have brought the mood down, but I like that I’ve gotten to know you just a little deeper.” I say reaching for her hand across the table.
“It’s okay. It’s kind of one of the reasons that I really don’t come into the bar much. And probably why I don’t really know you. I know that you’re a regular here, and that generally implies that you are a drunk. Except that I don’t get that vibe from you.”
“Okay, so while I may be a bar regular, it’s purely for non-alcoholic reasonings.”
“Care to elaborate?” she asks with a tilt of her head.
“Alright, we’re getting even darker,” I joke.
“Let’s look at it as building foundation and getting to know one another.”
“Okay, okay. So, growing up, my mom and dad left the house a lot, and left me at home,” I begin. “I had little to no interaction while I was growing up. I went to school then home and that’s it. My parents weren’t around to ever allow me to have friends over and none of my friends’ parents ever were able to meet mine since they weren’t around. This continued throughout school and since then I like to be surrounded by other people and the bar is the best atmosphere for that,” I explain.
“So, you go to the bar to just be around people and not for the drinking?” she asks for clarification.
“Yup. I’m not really a huge drinker. Sure, I’ll have shit ass long days where I will take some extra shots, but I’m more just hanging at the bar for the social aspect.” I tell her.
“You’re the Neighborhood Regular, but not in the negative way that everyone always assumes when they hear someone is always at the bar,” she says slowly to understand and clarify.
“Exactly,” I nod.
She blows out a breath and smiles, “Can I be completely honest with you?”
“Of course,” I nod.
“I haven’t taken the extra step to know you because of what I thought. After my dad died, I made a promise to myself that my future self would not get involved with someone who is an alcoholic, that’s what I thought of you. I’m sorry for pre-judging you,” she says.
