Page 44 of The Chef

I wonder what he feels about all this.

Must be hard seeing your ex’s face splattered on billboards and posters everywhere you go. Must be hard having your ex become one of the most famous actresses on the planet in front of your eyes just months after you break up.

What does that do to someone’s soul? How can their heart mend after being forced to witness something like this mere weeks after breaking up?

I know I wouldn’t be able to cope.

For the first time, I feel pity for Cliff. I realize I don’t really know what he’s going through. No wonder he's taken out his anger on me. I held him up in that bank whilst he was trying to save the business he’s invested all his time into. I humiliated him in public when he’s already shamed by his ex-girlfriend rubbing her massive success in his face.

No wonder he’s pissed off at me.

So why did he leap to my defense yesterday with that horrible customer?

Pearl suddenly appears, rushing at me with a toy in her hands. A princess doll.

“Another one?” I ask her as she comes to a standstill in front of me, her face beaming at her find. “Don’t you have enough princesses at home?”

“Nope!”

“Really?”

“I need more.”

I shrug. “Well, I guess that’s fair enough. Only because you’re my favorite niece in the whole world.”

I take her by the hand and lead her to the tills. The cashier smiles at Pearl, clearly enamored by the girl’s cuteness. I don’t blame her.

“Is your mommy buying you a gift?” the cashier asks.

“I’m not…” I hasten to say, but I’m cut off by Pearl’s instant rebuttal.

“My mommy’s dead, but Bay is like my new mommy.”

The cashier looks up in shock. She turns to me with sympathy in her eyes, speechless at what Pearl’s just said. My niece hugs the doll’s box tight with her usual smile on her face, unaware of the chaos she’s just caused. I quickly pay for the doll and mutter my thanks to the cashier. She tries to offer her apologies, but I wave my hand to stop her.

“It’s okay, honestly.”

I don’t want her to feel bad when she doesn’t know anything about Pearl’s situation. And, besides, my niece doesn’t seem affected at all, she doesn’t seem to realize what’s gone on.

Holding her hand, I take her out of the store, and I’m shaking. It’s always horrible to see Pearl talk about her mother like that. No child should ever have to do that, no child should have to process the death of a parent like it’s a normal thing.

I stand in the center court of the shopping mall outside the toy store and catch my breath. Pearl is busy trying to open the box of the doll to take any notice of me.

She really is oblivious to everything that’s happened.

No child as young as Pearl should talk about their mother like that.

And she called me her new mommy.

I shake my head. All I can try to do is be there for Pearl and Davy, and be that female influence they both desperately need in their lives right now. That’s all I can do.

I take in a deep breath and compose myself. I glance around the shopping mall to relax myself. Pearl, unable to open the box without my help, grabs my hand again to signal for my assistance.

And that’s when I see him.

Cliff Finn.

He’s standing on the other side of the shopping mall, staring at me and Pearl.