Baby Boots

1: Half & Half

Bending down with a silver pan filled with prepped apple pies ready to bake, I slid the pastries into the oven and closed it before starting one of my many timers above the stove. The timer I had just set was in the shape of an apple itself letting me know what was cooking in which oven. I had several timers located on the doorless cabinet in many shapes and colors with different labels for different pastries and desserts. It was a simple way to keep my kitchen running smoothly during the day.

"Celeste?" A little old woman stuck her head into the kitchen looking somewhat frantic as she spotted me by the stoves. Her white hair streaked with blonde strands was pulled up in a tight bun on top of her head. She wore largely framed glasses that oddly complimented our pale blue uniforms that had white aprons wrapped around the waist to carry our orders and pens.

"Yes, Sally?"

"Jorge's asking for you, hun. And we wouldn't happen to have anymore Half & Half in the back, would we?" She raised a kettle filled with coffee to self explain itself.

I straightened up quickly before wiping my hands with a kitchen towel and finding myself in our walk in fridge. I checked our supplies rack to locate the large box with the proper label that listed the miniature creamers and sadly, I had no luck in finding any.

Walking back into the kitchen where Sally was waiting patiently, I responded with, "No, I'm sorry ma'am, I'm gonna have to run down to the grocery store and grab some."

This made Sally frown as I ran my hands down the front of my apron.

"Well, hell bells. I thought I told Johnny to restock last week!" She fussed before her features soften again with a sigh. "Alright, but first can you attend to Jorge. That old fart always gives me a tough time when your not on the floor."

I laughed as she grumbled her way out of the kitchen.

This old town was filled with sweet and mostly older people like Sally worrying about small things such as regulars being grumpy over empty syrup bottles and pretty waitresses. It was like nothing out fifty miles mattered unless there was a tornado warning or motorcycle rally coming to town. Wilmer Fields, rarely was blessed with new faces and I was one of them almost a full year ago.

I was the drop of water they had been waiting for, figuratively, since this place was over stocked with organic goods and generational farmers.

Sighing, I took off my apron and exchanged it for a worn out hoodie that had no owner to cover my uniform. If their was anything I knew about my Diner it was the known fact that it was a black hole for every item possible.

Keys... pocket knives... baseball cards... Sally's dentures...

I chuckled to myself before stepping out of the kitchen to face the beautiful faces of my regulars on a sunny Sunday morning.

"Jorge! For the last time, stop putting your grease monkeys on my counter now! Go wash that filth off!" Sally smacked one of the silver foxes sitting at the bar top with her usual scowl crossing her face.

"I come in peace," Jorge laughed before pulling a rag out his blue jean pocket and wiping his oily hands off. "Now give me my daily pie woman!"

"Their not ready yet." The two seniors turned their attention on me and I gave a friendly smile. "Sally, when the timer goes off can you please make sure not to burn them this time." She blushed then nodded before shooting daggers at good Ol' Jorge.

"For the loyal customers sake." Jorge teased.

Jorge was a very charming old country man with high cheek bones and sunken cheeks. His jaw was strong and he had the whitest teeth money could buy. As I approached his stool, he stood up and towered me before opening his arms for one of his daily hugs I was always looking forward too.