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Chi had found out during the course of the day that he had been an only child. His immediate family was dead. He was technically an adult, since he was 18, and he hadn’t yet graduated from high school. What a start for a kid. He wouldn’t be eligible to be fostered. The state would view him as an adult.
His mother had a sister, from whom she was estranged, and his father had been an only child, whose parents were dead.
Rodney, for all intents and purposes, was pretty much alone in the world.
How terrible that must be.
Although, Chi could relate a little. She didn’t have the best relationship with her family, although she knew they were still there. Still available if she truly, truly needed them.
“Are you okay?” Griff asked, and she startled. She hadn’t heard him leave the kitchen and approach her.
He put an arm on her shoulder, and she wanted to lean into him. To put her head on his chest and just allow him to hold her. To hold him. To feel the comfort of another human, and think about something other than tragedy and sorrow.
“How is he?” she asked, looking up at Griff instead. Rodney had gone back to the kitchen, refusing all offers of counseling, answering the questions the police had asked, even taking a ride to the station. But they brought him back.
“I guess he’s as good as anyone could expect. He’s not laughing, but... He doesn’t have that vacant, shellshocked look on his face anymore.” Griff seemed truly concerned. And Chi knew it wasn’t an act. He’d spent a lot of time talking to Rodney before this had happened, and he seemed to really relate to the kid.
“Are you seriously going to take him home?” Chi asked, knowing that throughout the day different people had said that was what was going to happen. She hadn’t really talked to Griff much at all, since he’d been busy in the kitchen and she’d been busy waitressing all day.
“Kind of funny isn’t it?” Griff said, seeming thoughtful. “I just bought a house. It was big and empty, and I wondered exactly what I was doing at times. After all, I was pretty happy just living over the diner.”
“But if you can afford to live somewhere nicer, why wouldn’t you?” she asked. She’d been wondering that for a while. If he was able to afford a place like the one on the bluffs, which was one of the most expensive pieces of property in the area, he certainly hadn’t needed to live above the diner for the last few years. It had made her totally reevaluate everything about Griff. But, having the experience that she did with James, where money and prestige just hid a cheating heart, she had to reevaluate how important money and all the things that came with it, was to her.
“No.” Griff shook his head. “I was pretty happy with the diner. I only bought the house... I don’t know why.”
She got the feeling that he actually did know why, he just didn’t want to tell her. Or maybe he didn’t want to tell anyone, and it wasn’t just her. Griff was a private guy.
“I came out to tell you that I was going to head home with him. I’ll be here in the morning.” He paused, his hand seeming to squeeze her shoulder just a little bit before he dropped it to his side.
“Thanks for letting me know. I can finish up. And, if you need some extra time or whatever tomorrow, I’ll muddle my way through.”
“I know all you have to do is ask, and there are about twenty people in town who would be more than happy to lend you a hand.” He put a hand up. “I know you don’t like to ask, but if you need to, you know they’re there for you.”
She lifted her chin, but didn’t say anything. It was hard for her to ask for help. She wanted to prove that she was worthy. That she was capable. Maybe that was why she was so attracted to money and prestige. She didn’t want to be the person everyone else had to help. She wanted to be the one helping.
“You know, a lot of people would really appreciate the opportunity to be a blessing to you.”
Griff didn’t say anything else, he just stared at her for a moment, and then turned around and walked back to the kitchen.
She hadn’t considered that. That her needs provided an opportunity for other people to be a blessing.
She thought being needy made her weak. And maybe it did in a way, but a person couldn’t be the strong one all time. Maybe it just took a certain amount of strength to admit that a person needed help.
She’d thought money made a person strong, but that wasn’t necessarily true.
There were so many things that happened in the last week, she felt like her brain was going to explode from all of her thoughts jumbled around each other.
She finished cleaning the diner, turned out the lights, and instead of going up to her apartment, she let herself out the front door. She needed to take a walk.
Normally she would head down to the beach. Even though it was dark there was just something about the sound of the waves, the feeling of the air coming off the water, the rippling moonlight, and the feel of the sand under her feet. Next to the water the snow would be melted. Although, it might be icy on the rocks.
But she didn’t go that way. She turned up the sidewalk, and started walking up the street.
She thought of Lana at the bed-and-breakfast. She seemed so matronly and calm. And wise. It felt like she needed a little wisdom. Maybe that’s why her feet turned up.
But it wasn’t Lana she met on the sidewalk. Lana’s daughter, Sunday, walked down with her hands shoved in her coat pockets, her beanie cap pulled low over her head.
“Hey there,” Sunday said as they got closer. “What a day, right?”
