elliot edwards and the pursuit of finding oneself

five

"alright elliot." he starts, taking a chunk of red velvet on his fork. "i'll tell you about alice. but only because it's your birthday." he tells me. "alright harry." i mimik. "i met alice here, about eighteen years ago." he begins.

"it was my first time in the diner. she worked here, as a waitress. i was sat at that booth by the door. but once we started dating i would sit up by the counter in the seat you're sitting in now." he states. "sorry. i stole your spot i suppose." "s'no problem. anyways, i fell in love with her the moment she asked me what i would like to drink and i got the chance to look at her. cherry coke by the way."

"she's by far the prettiest thing i've ever seen. she still is, to this day. unfortunately i wasn't very bold back in the day, and i never got the courage to talk to her about anything other than what i wanted to order. i don't blame myself. she was intimidatingly beautiful, and she used to wear these rollerskates with purple laces to skate around like she owned the place."

he smiles down into his coke glass. "by the time i payed i left her a big tip and a napkin with my name and number on it, telling her that she was the most gorgeous girl in the world and how i needed to see her again. i dunno if i ever tried harder than that to have nicer handwriting." he chuckles. "i thought you said you weren't bold." i joke, knowing deep down that she still had the napkin.

"guess you're right." he laughs. "she called later that night, wasn't really a socially acceptable hour but i let it slide." he jokes. "she told me she was working from five a.m. 'till midnight with an hour lunch break at one." "jesus." i sigh.

"tell me about it. i asked her why she was working so much and i'll never forget her answer, 'paris baby. that's the dream.' of course i came, i was there early, by twelve fourty-five, and even that was hard to manage. i would've been there fifteen minutes before her five a.m. shift started if i thought she wouldn't think i was creepy for that." his smile grew more and more with every word.

"how'd it go?" i ask him. "terribly." he admits. "i was so nervous that i threw up my lunch in the staff bathroom." he laughs. "luckily i was charming enough beforehand to get a second date." by now it was nine twenty-seven. harry had finished eating his dinner and we had both cleared our red velvet plates. "don't you have a curfew? isn't ten the usual?" harry asks.

"no, i don't actually." i say truthfully, but even if i did i would've lied to keep the conversation going. "what do you wanna major in?" he asks. "philosophy and creative writing with a dash of art history." i answer. after all he was spewing out personal information, the least i could do is return the favor.

"career?" he asks. "writing would be the dream, but i'm shooting for professor." he nods at this. "current job?" "just got hired here. tomorrow's my first day." i tell him. "well elliot. how about we continue this next friday? around seven? dinner on me and we'll see where the story takes us." he suggests.

although the thought of him leaving so soon into the story made my head throb, i was more than pleased with him offering to continue so i wouldn't have to hunt him down and ask too many questions again. "sure. hopefully they let me off by then. i wont know until tomorrow." i tell him.

"well, just in case, phone me and we'll change the plan alright?" he says before asking chuck for a pen and his check. "alright." i say, holding in my excitement as he writes his number on a napkin and slides it over to me. "bit of deja vu i presume?" i joke, putting it in my pocket. "definitely." he says smiling.

"have you got a car?" he asks. "does anybody on this side of the city?" i reply, putting on my coat. "need any cab money?" he questions, pulling his scarf over his head and grabbing his hat. "no, i'm good thanks. i live not too far. i think i need the walk to be honest." I tell him. "okay, well, see you friday." he says before turning away to leave.

"oh and uh-" he tarts, turning back to me on his heel. "happy birthday elliot. hope it was a good one." he tells me, flashing his award winning smile at me again. "thanks." i tell him, watching him walk out and turn the corner opposie of the direction i'd be headed.

"did you find who you were looking for?" chuck asks, coming up behind me and taking off his apron, getting ready to leave as well. "yeah. i did. see you tomorrow." i answer before waking out and going left, running as fast as i could as tears welled up in my eyes. i've never felt more free in my life.

my nose returned to a familliar shade of pink as i ran through the freezing air, and my warm tears slowly began to feel like ice the further they slid down my cheeks. despite the distance i never ran short of air, nor did i ever start to feel the need to slow down.

at nine fourty two i found myself passing the library where just hours ago i found out my parents names and why i was given away. even how aunt ellen wasn't just pretending to be my aunt, she really was. even if she was only my moms best friend and not her biological sister, she was my family, and i was so much closer to my parents than i ever knew.

all this time, the woman my mother grew up with was raising me. she watched alice fall in love and witnessed her missing her first flight to paris, she was there! she knows who my father is, and how he still lives close enough to come to the diner a few blocks away, and she's the one who was sending harry's letters (i also took note than this means he knows my address).

by the time i reached megan's apartment it was nine fourty-seven. i banged my knuckles up against the freezing dark green paint that coated her door and listened for the remnants of mtv playing below my heavy breaths and tear streaked cheeks.

when the door flew open and megan stood on the other side, an ear to ear grin covered the lower half of my face, and in that moment, all i could think to say, or even think in general, was four words. four of the most crutial words that have ever left my mouth. "i met my father!"