Amelia had everything- family, friends, a promising future- the sky was the limit. But just like that everything was taken from her. One moment she's planning her high school graduation party the next she's laying on a therapist's couch. It was as i...
Marie's Diner was a small, family owned restaurant that has been up and running long before I was born. My family, primarily my mother and older sister, would visit the place whenever we were visiting my grandmother.
It became an ongoing tradition to eat there whenever we came during winter and summer breaks. Marie's menu stretched from old fashioned biscuits and gravy to ribs slow-cooking in an old cast iron smoker they kept in the back of the place. They served something for every sweet, savory, or spicy craving one could come in with.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
They displayed all of their freshly made pies and cakes beneath the front counter. On top sat an antique cash register that has been there since the first time I came here. Along the walls were framed pictures of specialty dishes, aged recipes, and precious family moments.
It reminded me a little of O' Donovan's, like how they displayed photos and ran the place as a family. The only difference was that once you ate at Marie's you became a part of the family.
I hadn't been to Marie's in over six years. That long standing tradition came to a crashing halt after the accident. But when Elijah and I stepped through the doors I was immediately hit with all of the familiar smells that had long been forgotten. The scent of cinnamon and freshly brewed coffee swirled through the air.
As I expected the place had an ample amount of people for a Saturday afternoon, but don't ever think you're going to find seating on a sunday. The diner was conveniently located across the street from a large Baptist church, so that meant that every Sunday the place was packed with people who had just come from church.
It has gotten so hectic over the years that people have actually called to make a reservation just so they didn't have to wait an hour for a table. Other than that it was normal to just walk in and sit down at the table of your choosing.
I guided us over to an empty booth near the back, facing the window. We both sat down and began looking at the menus that were already placed at the table.
"Have you ever been here?" I asked. Elijah appeared to be someone who only would surround himself with the finer things like expensive liquor and prime cuts of meat. That's why when he agreed to come here with me I was taken back a bit.
Marie's was the place to come after a sports game or when you were trying to come off of a bitter hangover. There was nothing better than coming in late at night for a cup of coffee and a stack of their signature blueberry pancakes.
"When I was younger, my brother and I would come here a few times after Jonathan finished football practice," he replied.
Thinking back to the photo Charlotte had shown me, it was easy to imagine Johnathan playing such a sport. Like his older brother, he too had a broad, muscular build that would attract every football coach in the country.
I couldn't help but smile. "Really? What position did he play?" There was an unexpected eagerness in my voice that had me blushing.
"He played as a wide receiver during his years at Wester High."
