desertion

69

MILES

The evening shift at the pizzeria was slow, and I found myself wiping down the same counter for the third time out of sheer boredom. Tyler and Delilah were chatting by the ovens, and Lydia was up front helping the sparse flow of customers.

As we neared closing, the sound of the front door opening caught my attention. I looked up to see Julian, Isabelle, and Nathaniel strolling in, their laughter filling the quiet space.

"Hey!" Julian called out with a grin, waving dramatically.

I smirked, walking around the counter to greet them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Thought we'd save you from dying of boredom," Isabelle teased, leaning on the counter.

"Mission accomplished," Tyler said, coming up beside me. "Friends of yours?"

"Yeah," I said, introducing them quickly. "This is Julian, Nathaniel, and Isabelle. Guys, this is Tyler and Delilah."

Delilah gave a cheerful wave. "Nice to meet you!"

Nathaniel nodded with a smile. "Nice to meet you too. So, is this where you spend all your time?"

"Pretty much," I admitted with a chuckle. "Lydia's in the kitchen. She'll come out in a bit."

Our group settled in a booth, and soon enough, all of us were talking and joking like we'd all known each other for years, which was true for me. I've known Julian and Isabelle for as long as I can remember.

I noticed how easily Julian had everyone laughing, his quick wit filling the pizzeria with warmth.

********

While our friends bonded, Lydia stayed focused on the customers. I glanced over occasionally, my eyes lingering as she moved between tables. She seemed fine—maybe a little quiet, but nothing unusual.

Julian had finished a punchline that left everyone in laughter when my gaze drifted back to Lydia. She was standing at a table, the couple seated there looked mildly concerned. The man was waving a hand, calling her name.

"Lydia?"

She didn't respond, her body frozen in place as if someone pressed pause.

I shot up from my seat, the laughter at the table fading immediately. I crossed the room quickly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Lydia?"

She blinked, her eyes snapping back to focus, confusion clouding her expression. "What?"

The couple at the table explained, "She was telling how long our order would take, then she just stopped and stared off into space."

Lydia shook her head. "No. I just got over here."

I exchanged a worried look with the couple before gently guiding Lydia away from the table. "I'll get Tyler to take care of your order," I told them. The couple nodded, their concern clear, but they didn't press further.

As I led Lydia toward our friends, her confusion deepened. "What's going on? I don't understand."

I didn't answer immediately, my focus on dialing Eddie's number. I put the phone on speaker and placed a comforting hand on Lydia's arm as it rang.

Eddie picked up after two rings. "Miles? What's wrong?"

"Are you around Hen and Chim?" I asked.

"Yes, why? What's going on?" Eddie's voice grew sharper with concern.

I hesitated before explaining, "Lydia spaced out. She was talking to a customer, and then she just stopped. She doesn't remember any of it. She thinks she had just walked over there when I know that she was there for at least three minutes."

There was a pause on the other end before Hen's voice chimed in. "It's normal for things like that to happen after a seizure."

"But her seizure was two weeks ago," Eddie said. "She shouldn't still be forgetting stuff or zoning out like that."

"Lydia," Isabelle interjected softly, "how long did the couple's pizza need to cook?"

Lydia answered immediately. "Twenty minutes. But I hope it's faster since they're in a rush."

Nathaniel smiled faintly. "Well, at least she remembers that."

I nodded but pressed on. "She just forgot the conversation she was having. That's the part that's weird."

From the phone, Chimney said, "It's not something to panic about right now. Just keep an eye on her."

Eddie echoed Chimney's words, though I could hear the worry in his tone. "Make sure someone stays with her. We'll check in later."

The firehouse bell rang in the background, and Eddie quickly said, "We have to go. Keep an eye on her, okay?"

"Okay," I said before the line went dead.

I sighed, glancing at Lydia. She gave me a small smile. "I'm fine, Miles."

I didn't believe her, but I let it go.

For now.