His Secret [Completed]

Chapter One

For Sophia, the idea of family was a distant memory, a memory plagued with alcohol, gambling, cancer and suicide. And at age 24 she found herself living her life in a tatty, run-down neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York City and working a waitressing job she didn't enjoy, which barely paid enough for her to afford half of her rent.

As she swung her bare legs out of her bed and slipped her dainty feet into her old, previously fluffy pink slippers, she still hadn't opened her eyes. She wished she could stay in the dream state forever, because in that state she could have anything she desired; more than enough money to live comfortably, a journalism career, a family. And she knew that as soon as her brown eyes settled on her best friend, Jasmine, who stood over her tapping her foot violently on the hardwood floor, the dream would end and the reality of a 9 to 5 job would begin once again.

Sophia dressed in the orange uniform that she'd slipped into every morning for the past year and tied her not so white tennis shoes tightly, before setting out onto the busy street for a two block walk to Joey's Diner. The rather large man they called their boss scolded the pair for being a couple of minutes late as soon as they stepped inside, out of the cold November weather. Soon after securing her white apron around her waist, Sophia fell into the rhythm of work; clearing tables, pouring coffee and taking orders. Her mind drifted to a re-run of a television show she and Jasmine had sat down to watch the night before, keeping her occupied while she served customers who regularly 'forgot' to tip more than 50 cents. It was an ever competing city and she knew that, which is why she was grateful for a job that paid little over minimum wage.

Life hadn't always been such a struggle for Sophia. There was a time where she lived in a 3 bedroom semi-detached house with her adoring parents and her younger brother Ethan. It was long ago but that time was there and it was a constant reminder every day that she should be grateful for a healthy body, healthy mind and a roof over her head - even if it was only temporary.

"Table six, order up," Vinny called from behind the counter with a thick Brooklyn accent, and hit the service bell. He was holding two plates, one in each hand, and slid them onto the counter with a loud clatter. The noisy diner was never quiet, and no one expected it to be. It's the way things were in the city: people rush in, order, scoff their food as quickly as possible and leave. A quick turn around is what Joey's is designed for, a fast food diner of sorts. New York had always been Sophia's home state and that's how she liked it. She never travelled and never went on vacation because it just wasn't in her cards. Sophia always looked at it that way, she looked at life as if everything happend for a reason.

At first, it was hard to come to terms with; her mother died when she was 15, just a short year after her brother was taken by cancer, and her life from that moment on was turned upside down. Her family of four quickly became two and then a couple of years later, it became one. She had relatives, an uncle to be precise, but he wasn't much help. Ralph had given her shelter for a year but it was no more than that. It was a place to stay until she was eighteen years old, an adult.

Across the diner, a petite woman entered and took a seat in a booth in the corner with a black earpiece hooked over her ear, the conversation more frustrating than entertaining. Sophia didn't fail to notice the annoyance on her face when she poured the customer a cup of coffee. "I'll do it myself!" The woman yelled, startling Sophia. Her cheeks flushed red as she looked down at the woman with fear that she would hound her about not doing her job properly. Her eyes fell to a single spot of coffee she'd spilled onto the table. When her gaze connected with the customers, she noticed it had not been her she was shouting at; it was the unfortunate soul on the end of the phone line who was getting an earful.

With violence, the feisty woman ended the call on her earpiece and breathed out harshly. "Can I get you anything?" Sophia took the notebook out of her apron pocket ready to take the order.