Dedicating Every Day to You

Chapter Twenty-Three

I'm practically falling asleep, sitting on a bar stool at Keller's Diner and watching John flip burgers. The ceaseless rhythm has me in a daze- lift, flip, drop, repeat. My eyes are glazing over, and I probably look like a zombie.

"Want another milkshake, Kathryn?" Sally, my favorite waitress at the diner, swoops by, beaming at me and grabbing my cup from the counter.

"I've already had three. Thanks, though." I smile at her, my daze broken.

It's April vacation, and once again, I'm going nowhere. Alex is totally swamped with work, and I'm not allowed to stay home after the unfortunate Marshmallow Incident, so I'm here at the diner every day.

"I'm bored, Daddy," I whine across the counter. I did all of my homework already, finished my assigned reading, and wrote out Miranda lyrics for the first half of the show.

"If you're that bored, strap on an apron and help Sally." John flips a burger behind his back, then slides a plate underneath. He taps the little bell on the counter. "Dolly, order up for nineteen!" Dolly, another one of the waitresses, spins over and grabs the plate.

"Okay, why not? I've got time to kill." I jump up from the stool. "Sally, throw me an apron?"

She laughs. "You helping?"

"Why not? I've got nothing better to do with my time." I catch the rolled-up black apron that's thrown at me. Strapping it on over my jeans, I grab an order pad and get to work.

********

"Yo, Kath, we're seating someone at your section!" Jennah, one of the waitresses who came in an hour ago, waves to me.

"Got it!" I balance a stack of coffee mugs on my tray, then run them into the kitchen. I take the moment to survey myself in the warped reflection from a toaster. I'm sweaty, and my hair has become a giant mass of cotton candy atop my head. There's a spare elastic on my wrist, so I pull my hair back as well as I can, then go out to my next table.

"Hey, welcome to Keller's Diner. I'm Kathryn, I'll be your- Dad?"

Alex is sitting at the table, and looks quite surprised to see me. "Kathryn, why are you waiting tables?"

"I got bored. Anyway, what'll it be?" I shift my tray on my shoulder.

"I just wanted to talk to you and your dad. Can you bring him over here?"

"Sure. Want some coffee, at least?" Coffee is like the lifeblood of every diner ever. We've got more of it here than any other item on the menu.

"If you don't mind." Alex hands me his menu, and I'm off through the kitchen. John'll want coffee, too, so I pour two mugs.

"Dad, come out here with me. You've been called to table three." I hook my pinky around the coffee cup handles, then parade back out into the main floor, John trailing behind me. He sees Alex, and his face lights up.

"Hey, baby! You didn't tell me you were coming."

"It's called a surprise, dear. Now, we're going home and packing up, because we're going to Canada!"

John sits down in the booth and stirs creamer into his coffee. "Are you on the run from the law again?"

"That was one time!" Alex looks defensive.

"What happened?" I slide into the booth as well. "I want to hear the story."

"You don't get to hear the story until you're older." Alex takes a sip of his coffee. "Does it really need five sugars, John?"