EDEN'S KITCHEN - Carmen Berzatto

The Return Trip

NOVEMBER 2015 - THE BEEF

It was two hours after closing the beloved restaurant and the only people left were Mikey and Richie. The pair had just finished doing final checks for the night and were currently sitting at one of the foldable tables. Each had a sandwhich in front of them, their so-called dinner for the night.

The music in the background drifted in and out of the restaurants' different rooms. The two were not engaged in conversation, instead listening to the song that was currently playing. They were listening as if their life depended on it. To be honest, it was the first time either one of them had felt like really paying attention to music even if both would never admit it.

As the last song on the album ends, the album starts playing from the beginning. The bell on the door of the restaurant signals somebody to walk in. Both of the adults, roll their eyes. Not wanting to deal with some idiot who drank too much and was just really feeling like a sandwich.

"Hey are ya blind, We're fucking closed," Richies screams, without even turning around to see who it is. Mikey lets out a small chuckle.

"Are you guy's listening to my music?" The two men, basically brothers, turn around and face the unwanted visitor. There stands Ophelia Iver, she had been missing from her station at the cash register in the Beef for the past three weeks. Mikey had waved it off because Eli was trying to prep to self-release her album and he had no fucking clue what to even do about that. So he just managed to get by without the front of their little operation.

"IVERS," Richie yells before standing up and tackling her in a hug that sucked all the air out of her body. The nickname only used by Richie, had been as old as the two had known each other. Eli already had a nickname for her given one, Richie did not want to call her something everybody else already did. And well Eden was off the table according to the youngest Berzatto. So he found his own name for her. "The album very good." His mouth was still full of part of his dinner. He wasn't focused on his grammar, more on making sure he didn't choke to death.

"Yeah, totally worth dropping out of college for. I mean who wants to become an engineer right." Mikey's sarcasm bites through the air. He was never really completely supportive of her chasing after this dream. Partly due to the fact, he did the same and it never really work out. As long as it was keeping her away from drugs, he could get behind it.

"Thank you very much for your input, Micheal." The two dream-chasers look at each other, before breaking into much-needed laughter. After a quick hug, Eli starts speaking again. 'It isn't that bad, ever since the release I've made like nine grand. I would say it's worth it." Eli gives a quick smirk to the two men in front of her.

"Holy Shit, You are telling me you made almost ten grand in like what twelve days," Eli confirms with a nod of her head. Richie just stands there speechless, after Mikey's repetition.

"Fuck working in a restaurant. I should become a pop star." Richie's sarcasm breaks through once again. "Yeah like it would even be considered music, maybe a cat screaming to death but definitely not music." Mikey snarks a response before Eli can start her own.

"Oh Yeah, yeah really cousin." Richie aims for Mikey's stomach and starts trying to tackle him to the ground. Even though they were in their mid-thirties, sometimes they still acted like teenagers. Eli sits back in one of the chairs, that had yet to be put away. Watching the two friends try to pull one another to the ground. They were the only ones that could truly understand each other. To Eli, it was almost like they were soulmates. Not in a romantic way, but by some feeling it was like they were only put on this earth to stay next to each other.