The Ways in Which I Die (COMPLETED)

CHAPTER 6: "PLEASE TAKE CARE OF HIM"

SUMMER

“Where’s Anthony?” Summer asks Steven when she comes into work and discovers Anthony isn’t there waiting for her with a cup of fresh coffee and a doughnut.

“He called in sick and apologized vigorously for calling in on such short notice,” Steven says, not looking up from where he’s counting out money from the drawer.

“Oh,” Summer says, disappointment settling in deep in her chest. She can already tell it’s going to be a long day.

Summer hears a crash from the back of the store followed shortly by a quiet “oops”. 

She sighs and goes to where she heard the crash to see that a little kid has knocked a vase off the shelf.

“What on earth did you do?” Summer demands trying to keep her cool.

“I’m sorry,” the little boy says quietly. “I- I didn’t mean to. It was just so pretty and then it slipped…”

Summer lets out a long breath. “It’s okay, kid.”

“Please don’t tell my mommy,” he sobs and buries his face in his hands.

“It’s okay,” Summer repeats and gets down on one knee in front of the kid. “I won’t tell your mom, okay? I’ll take care of the vase, and you can go back with her, yeah?”

The boy nods and his eyes track back to the vases on the shelves.

“Do you want me to get another one down for you to look at?” Summer asks.

The boy nods.

“Which one do you want?”

“That one.” He points to a big white vase with a blue bull painted on it in an intricate swirling design.

“Oh, that’s a good one,” Summer says and takes it down for him. “You have a good eye.”

“I like the bull,” he says and runs his little finger over the design on the vase. “Can I hold it?”

Summer knows there’s a fair chance he’ll drop again, but she can’t bring herself to say no. “Promise you won’t drop it?”

“I promise!” the little boy says excitedly.

“Okay, I’ll give it to you, but you have to hold it like you would a baby,” Summer says gently and holds the vase out and lets the child take it. He wraps his arms around it with a tenderness Summer has never seen from a child before. “Do you want to go find your mom now?”

“Yes please.” He nods.

“Come along then,” Summer says and leads the way down one of the small isles being sure to walk slow enough so he can keep.

“There you are!” A blond woman maybe a little older than Summer cries as her eyes settle on the kid.

“Mommy! Look what the nice lady got down for me!” the boy cries and nods his head down toward the vase that he’s holding protectively in his arms.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” the woman says. “Do you want to get it?”

The child nods his head vigorously.

“Would you all like to check out now?” Summer asks.

“Not yet, no. I’m still doing some shopping and my husband is poking around here somewhere looking for a friend of his I think.”

“Alright,” Summer says with a smile. “Let me know when you’re ready.”

“Will do.”

Summer nods at them and heads back to where the vase broke so she can clean it up.

“Excuse me.” Summer is stopped halfway there by yet another customer.

“What can I do for you?” Summer asks.

“Does a Anthony Wilson work here by any chance?” he asks hopefully. 

“Who’s asking?” she replies suddenly feeling the need to be defensive for her co-worker.

“A friend of his,” the man says and there’s worry in his tone. “We got into an argument a few weeks back, and I haven’t seen him since we got done suing his old law firm.”

“What kind of argument?” Summer asks remembering the faint black eye she’d seen Anthony with a few weeks before he’d come to work there.

“Personal stuff,” he says. “He got at me and left.”

“Oh, well he’s fine. He’s been his normal happy self since working here, but he called in sick this morning,” Summer says.

"He's sick?" He ask looking worried all of the sudden. Summer nods at him and feels a little concern of the face he's wearing

“He’ll probably be back tomorrow. I know it isn’t really any of my business, but if he doesn’t want to talk to you, I think you need to respect that.” She answers apologetically

The man ducks his head. “Well tell him I dropped by.”

“Can I have a name then?” Summer asks.

“I’m James” he replies. “Please tell him that I’m sorry, he’ll know what for. And please take care of him”

“I’ll try my best to remember,” Summer says, still suspicious of this person asking about her friend. If they were really friends why would Anthony abandon him for weeks with no word? 

“Summer!”

“Look, I gotta go, that was my boss,” Summer says and ducks past James.

“Do you know who broke this vase?” Steven asks as Summer rounds the corner.

“I did,” she answers without missing a beat.”

“You know it’s coming out of your paycheck, right?” 

“Yes, sir.”

The service bell at the front desk dings and Summer starts to move to go take care of the customers which is the guy that maybe a friend of Anthony, James? and that little boy and a blond woman, so it's a family huh?

But Steve stops. “You take care of this, I’ll take care of them.”