The Shape of Love

#15 Saturday Afternoon "Derailed and Rebuilt"

Lacey hadn't gone back to her apartment after she'd left Marie's home. Now it was her turn to enter the Split Bean soaking wet. Tanya was covering half of the morning shift and upon seeing Lacey she fussed over her shivering physique.

"You're setting a bad example for my boys, you now this is how Tommy got his cold." She referenced her son as she met Lacey at the end of the counter with a few towels.

When Lacey didn't respond Tanya became worried. "Everything alright honey?" She tucked a bit of wet hair behind Lacey's ear, her maternal instincts kicking in.

Lacey managed a nod as she buried her face in the warm starched cotton.

"Is the advance not working-" Tanya started but when Lacey shook her head fiercely - the only thing she could think to do in the moment - her boss stopped. Lacey lifted her head from the towel and sighed. Recognizing a customer at the register she gestured wordlessly and Tanya hurried away, but not after giving Lacey a reassuring squeeze of the hand. "You're a good kid honey, we can talk later if you want."

Lacey nodded and tried to smile, if only to make Tanya feel better. She didn't want to talk about it. Talking would only make her feel more guilty, she'd already asked so much from Tanya. Two advances on her paycheck and still her head had gone under the water, swallowed up by a wave.

Lacey stayed in the back room until she was on. Today she couldn't bear to sit in her corner. Today it wasn't enough for her to be anonymous - she wanted to be invisible.

Hours later when Lacey's shift started she politely put off the topic, assuring Tanya that she just needed some time to think. It was the best she could do - that was until she could think of a good way to ask if she could start sleeping in the break room.

At nineteen minutes to close Tanya had taken on the task of organizing the coffee bags in the stock room while Lacey cleaned the front. She'd just finished wiping the pastry case and all the machines down when the doorway dinged.

A flash of burgundy caught Lacey's eye. She followed the droplets that'd scattered to the floor up to the hand holding the curved handle. Lacey felt the need to duck behind the counter.

Marie was dressed uncharacteristically sloppily in torn jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt two sizes too big, the extra material tied at her hip. Pleased that she'd tamed the wild umbrella she strode to the counter. It'd been raining all day, ever since Lacey had burst out of Thrift Me Not. Droplets of rain that had infiltrated the umbrellas cover clung to Marie's frizzed hair.

Guilt hit Lacey like a railcar as she took in the woman's face.

"Did I do something wrong?" Marie's voice was quiet and unlike her usual confident charming tone. Her eyes were hooded yet she could feel them searching underneath the drooping lids. Marie wanted answers.

Lacey shook her head. She couldn't manage to get the word 'no' out, let alone everything else she wanted to say. A 'thank you' at the least. She wanted Marie to know how grateful she was, for the job, dinner, last night. Marie had been so gentle with Lacey, somehow sensing her walled attitude from the moment the events of July 17th arose.

"I would've liked to make you breakfast." Marie ventured, a bit of light returning to her eyes. "I know you probably think coffee is a proper breakfast - but I wanted to prove you wrong. I had a whole powerpoint mocked up and everything." Traces of jokester tone mixed with her tired voice and Lacey tried again to smile.

"I'm sorry." The words spit from her mouth - they'd been queued before - but unlike others, this time she truly meant it.

"Was it the company?"