A heavy dread seized her. She managed to get to her purse. Find her phone. Dial 911.
“Nine-one-one. How may I help you?”
“I... can’t... breathe...”
***
“This is nice, Anita. We haven’t had dinner at the hospital for years.”
Anita nodded. Her mother was still in Waco, and sherealized she hadn’t checked on her father since Mom had left. When she called him earlier in the day, he’d been at the hospital but said he could meet her in the cafeteria for an early supper.
“I’m glad you were free,” she said, dipping a fry in a mix of ketchup and mayo, her favorite combination. These fries weren’t as good as Tanner’s, but she was starving, and they hit the spot.
“So am I.” Her father speared a tomato from his salad. “How’s the café going? Since your mother took off to Waco, I’ve been missing my hourly reports.”
“Oh, you know. It’s going.” She shoved a plain fry into her mouth. “Is Paisley okay?” She’d been so caught up with her own problems she hadn’t even thought about calling her sister.
“She’ll be fine. You know how your mother is. Everything’s a crisis. Having some doubts about getting married isn’t uncommon.”
“Did you have doubts?”
“Talk about a loaded question.” He grinned. “I’ll answer it anyway. Yes. I had doubts. So did your mother, although I didn’t find out about them until years later.”
That surprised her. “Really?”
“Yep. Even the best relationships are complicated. When two people commit to each other, there are a lot of variables to contend with. Personality clashes, for one.”
“You and Mom are very different.”
“In temperament, yes.” He took a drink of lemon-flavored water. “But we both wanted the same things. Careers and a family. It hasn’t been easy, but thanks to your mother, we’ve made it work. We’re proud of our kids.”
Anita didn’t think he would be proud if he knew how much she was struggling. “I think I made a mistake.”
“About the café?”
She nodded.
He straightened. “I thought there might be something wrong. What do you mean?”
“I don’t know if I can do this.” She told him about her talk with Erma, leaving out the parts about Tanner. She still wasn’t sure asking him for help was a good idea. “I felt better after I talked to her, but when I went back inside the building, I was overwhelmed again.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I wanted to prove to you and Mom, and everyone else, that I could do this.” There. She had put it out in the open. “I’ve always needed help, and for once I wanted to do something on my own.”
“You’ve done plenty of things on your own.”
“Being a waitress and renting a tiny house isn’t a grand accomplishment.”
“Where did you get that idea?” He paused. “Never mind, I already know. Look, honey, you don’t have to prove anything to me. Your mother would say the same thing if she were here.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“Then ask her when she comes back. If I’m right, you’ll have to eat an entire plate of liverwurst.”
No way was she going to take that bet. She chuckled. “Okay, I believe you.”
Dad touched her hand. “Do you like being a waitress?” he asked.
