The Usual... A Max Schneider Fan Fiction

Chapter Forty: Trying

~ What a beautiful girl... Your daddy raised you right ~

Chapter Forty: Trying

"If you need me, you can call me, alright?"

"Yes, Max."

"I'm serious, little dove. Call me if you need me."

"I got it, Max."

"Are you sure you wanna do this? Lucas said he has someone lined up to take the shift if you don't think you're ready-"

"Max!"

My boyfriend stopped as I looked over at him, feeling slightly exasperated. "Max, I'll be fine."

Max watched me and sighed. "Baby, you know how I am," he spoke. "I'm going to worry for you, no matter if you actually end up okay or not."

I frowned. "Well quit it," I told him. "It's not even a full shift; it's a half shift, since Lucas seems to agree with you and doesn't think I can handle a full shift on my own."

Max rolled his eyes. "We just wanna ease you back into it," he said. "You've been out for a month, and, if I'm being honest, I'm not really sure you're emotionally stable enough to handle this yet."

I sighed loudly. "I'll be fine," I said again, leaning across the seat and kissing his cheek. "Now go to the gym... I love you."

Max nodded uneasily, pecking my lips gently and staring at me with those worried brown eyes. "Alright," he said. "I love you too. I'll pick you up at ten."

I nodded a little, jumping out of the car and making my way into the back entrance of the shop, already feeling tired. My boyfriend made sure I got safely into the shop before pulling away, making me smile in spite of myself as I was greeted by the warm, familiar scent of coffee and pastries, making me sigh contently. It felt a bit like home.

"Hey, Alice," I spoke, emerging behind the counter. The petite brunette looked back at me from where she was reading a magazine, her eyes somber suddenly as she saw me. She stood and tried her best to smile, walking over and enveloping me in a hug,

"Hey," she spoke. "How've you been, Simmy?"

I shrugged, trying my best to smile. "I've been better," I told her, looking around. "How's the shop been?"

Alice chuckled a little. "Quietly busy," she responded. "Like always."

I smiled slightly. "I've missed it," I said. Alice smiled, patting my shoulder as she shed her apron.

"I'll let you get to it then," she said. "Night, Simmy."

I giggled. "Night, Alice."

I heard the back door shut, leaving me in charge again, and the familiar sensation was homey to me. It was something I felt intensely comfortable with, and I let out a long, content sigh.

The content feeling lasted about ten minutes before all the memories came rushing back.

In the process of cleaning around the shop, I came across a kind of memorial everyone had set up for Dad in front of the counter. It was a picture of me and him, with tons of flowers and candles surrounding it. There were cards as well, some of them from the other employees, some of them from regulars who knew my father and I. Of course, seeing all this had me on the verge of breaking down again.

I sat at the piano to calm myself back down, but it didn't actually help; in fact, it only made it worse as happy memories of picking the piano out with Daddy came back to me, and I missed him so much right then that it became hard for me to breathe.