Rough Draft

Last Song for Your Heart

Bob bounced the chubby kid on his knee, smiling as the two year old babbled about the birds flying across the television screen.

"Bobby!"

"Yeah, Lin?"

"Gamma, gamma!" The baby shouted, squirming.

"M'naww!" Lin emerged from the stairwell, hands clasped as she moved closer to her grand baby. "Does lil' Yuki want Gramma?"

Bob let the toddler down, smiling as he watched the boy run on steady legs and wrap himself in Linda's neck.

"Zeke said he needs you downstairs?" Linda pat the baby's back, rocking unconsciously in the rhythm that mothers seem to intuitively know. "Said it was important?"

Bob groaned, standing slowly. "I wonder if we're out of supplies again..." he mused, "Though Zeke knows who we order from."

Linda shrugged, following her husband slowly back down the stairs as Yuki cooed.

"I can't believe she named him Yuki though." Bob chuckled at the nod to the old 'Burn Unit', his sigh turning heavy and forlorn. "I can't believe my little girl is on her honeymoon."

"I can't believe our little girl has a little boy!" Linda chuckled loudly as they turned the corner and entered the restaurant.

It was loud and bustling, people had taken to the seating outside and still it seemed cramped. Tina was flying around taking orders almost as quickly as Gene was serving dishes. Zeke's hulking form could be made out from the back, him arms moving in a methodical pattern as he pumped out dishes like a machine.

"Oi, Bobby!"

Bob resisted groaning and rolling his eyes.

"Bobby, Bobby, over here Bobby."

He sighed, "Yes Teddy! I see you. You always sit here. This is your spot. There's even a placard here."

Bob tapped the engraved sign that dedicated the spot at the bar as Teddy's, warning any who sat there that, should Teddy arrive, they would be asked to move.

Well you never know! You never know, Bobby!" Teddy raised his shoulders in an animated shrug, "I might get a wild idea to sit somewhere else and then you wouldn't be able to find me."

Bob chuckled, patting his friends shoulder as he made his way around the bar. Zeke hadn't noticed their arrival yet, it wasn't part of his job and he was consumed by his current task. Bob watched as Zeke put together three burgers, arranging a salad and sandwich before dinging the bell, looking at the next ticket and throwing three more patties on the grill.

"Order up!" He roared in his jovial voice.

"Right-o!" Gene shouted back, whisking the platter away almost as quickly as it had been filled.

"Table seven wants five onion ring baskets, two heartburns and one plate of fries."

"Done and done T-Bird." Zeke looked up, winking at his waitress.

Tina blushed and moved to gather money from the table that had just left.

"Oh, hey Mr. B!" Zeke smiled wide. "I wanted to ask you how you felt about me asking your daughter for marriage."

"Now?" Bob breathed heavy, "You're asking me this in the middle of your dinner rush?"

Zeke shrugged, flipping a patty expertly then moving to the buns, flipping them onto the grill and removing them with such accurate proficiency Bob felt a little jealousy. Despite working in a kitchen all his life and loving what he had done, he never had cultivated the natural talent for cooking Zeke seemed to possess.

Bob grinned wide, "It would be an honor to have you as a part of the family." He responded, raising his bad arm without thinking, quickly switching to shake left hands.

"Wanna cover the grill for a minute?" Zeke asked, a funny look dawning over his face.

"Uh.. uh sure. I don't think I can keep up with this kind of crowd though."

"I'll just be a few seconds." Zeke ripped around the corner, sliding on the linoleum to stop on one knee before Tina.

Bob removed the food from the grill and fryer, peering through the serving window.

"Tina!"

His daughter looked confused, embarrassed. Her whole neck was flushed red, her shorter than ever hair seemed to prickle with her emotions.

"Will you do me the honor of being my fiance?" Zeke whipped out a small box, much to Bob's surprise and horror.

The crowd seemed to have frozen in place, the silence was a physical thing and Bob felt every second of it crushing him, invading him. Tina's consent seemed to take years; the nod, the slow smile, the tears. All punctuated by memories of his baby; her first word, first tooth, first step, first 'A', first imaginary friend, first friend fiction... and then the ring was on her finger and she was draped around Zeke's neck. Bob blinked, aware of the tears coursing down his face. His eyes drifted over the crowd, Linda's gaze meeting his own. She smiled a watery, slow smile - baby Yuki sucking on his fist, laying his head on Linda's shoulder. She made her way through the cheering crowd, laughing and wiping at her cheeks as she stood beside Bob in the back, watching through the serving window.

"Oh Bobby." Her voice was quiet, he almost couldn't hear her. "Our babies are all grown up now."

Bob hiccuped, nodding as his good hand found Linda's. Her warm grip settled in his hand with a familiarity that soothed him.

"It's their turn to run things." He smiled.

"We're not dead yet, Bobby!" Linda laughed, kissing his cheek. "We're just not the main characters in this story anymore. That's all."