A Flame From The Past

26: Whip Cream

My mind was driving me crazy, I worried the worst for the day, even the kids were worried, why I was so worried. Rose especially, she said it wasn't like me to be a nervous wreck, and constantly check my phone, but today I did. But by the end of the day, as I drove back to Luca's I received many happy selfies of the two of them in their 'park'.

I wanted to stop by Mariam's diner to grab some food, for Luca and Ray, who seemed to have an exciting day and I guess I had made the right decision of leaving Ray home.

I parked my car in front of Mariam's diner, as I saw the lights still on and as I opened the door, I was greeted with the smell of fresh pies and happy smiles. Mariam saw me as she excused herself from a conversation with a customer and she scurried over with open arms.

"How are you my dear?" She asked, after greeting me with a very cheerful hello. We had just seen her a couple of days before at Luca's game, but each time she made me feel so welcomed and loved, I could tell where Luca had gotten his sense of love from. He showed it very often, along with his charm.

She escorted me to the barstools, as she took a seat next to me, grabbing me a menu and sliding it in front of me. I explained to her everything about today, how I was so nervous leaving Ray home with Luca.

"It's a motherly instinct to worry always, I worry even now, about the kids", she said, soothing my worried self. She seemingly had this way of surrounding herself and others with the calm she radiated.

"You don't have to be a mother, to feel motherly instincts", she said, hinting that even though I am not Ray's mother, I still rightfully worry about him. He's my responsibility, he's my family.

"And with Luca, you don't have to worry about him watching Ray", she said, getting ready to tell a story of such, of substance that could lead me to the things we hadn't shared with each other.

"He used to watch his siblings, Layla, and Lance, most of the time, unless I did. He did a good job too, better than I could've. He raised them, until he left for college", she said, watching me absorb this information. I knew Luca didn't have great parents, but I didn't know he had raised his siblings, I didn't know he was dealing with all of this during high school. I should've known.

I wanted to ask what happened to Luca's parents, but that was something he should tell me. Something he would tell me, when he feels ready.

"I'll get your order, and I'll throw in some pies", she said, slipping behind the counter and going into the back. Leaving with a smile, I pulled out my phone, looking at the pictures Luca had sent from today.

Their happy smiles shined through the screen as I saw the joy between them. I know I said I would stop worrying, but I couldn't help it. Especially since it had been 3 hours since I had recovered any photos, what could they have been doing?

Mariam came out, almost making it seem like she never left, and she didn't return with the order, but a photo album. She pulled out the album and sat it down next to me.

"Len told me he found this, when we were trying to find that basket for Halloween, he said you had to see it", She said, sliding the album next to me. She explained to me that all the kids had academic scrapbooks that she had made with the photos sent to her and she had gotten, and supposedly I had made the shot of some of them.

We flipped the page to the third grade spelling bee, he had won, but I burst out laughing when I saw the little girl in the corner crying in her polka dot dress. I had remembered that day, I was so disappointed I didn't win, I missed the word through. It was a horrible day for me.

We flipped the page and finally saw a victorious win for me. I stood on the pedestal for first place, in the mathalon, while Luca got second. We were both sore losers, now we were too.