We load her car up with enough cleaning supplies to kill any surprises that might be waiting for me in the vacant diner. It’s been seven years since Nan retired, and though the next tenantkept it running for a few months, it wasn’t long before Vince was hanging a ‘for lease’ sign in the window.
We drive the few miles to the ramshackle building, the wide windows and sun bleached paint welcoming me back. While run down, it all still holds the same warmth and promise I remember from my childhood. It’s like coming home to an old friend, and I am giddy with anticipation knowing that Nan will be able to have that feeling once again too.
Laura is standing on the sidewalk with Vince, who looks about as friendly as a doberman. I climb out of the car and approach them, a wide smile plastered to my face. This is it. It’s happening.
“Hi, Vince.”
“Charlotte,” he barks.
“Well,” Laura says. “It’s a little unusual to be giving keys before any paperwork is signed, but given your unique history with this place, I think we’re alright bending them.”
Vince grumbles and digs into his pockets, fishing out the silver key. He rummages with the keychain, working to get it off and I’m practically bouncing when he finally holds it up.
Laura steps aside and I unlock the building, pressing into the vintage room. The vinyl wrapped benches are a little worse for the wear, especially the ones by the window. But the black and white checkered floor and retro bar stools peppered around the silver flecked countertops still look to be in decent condition. I flick the lights on, and only a few sputter to life.
The room reminds me of myself in some ways, damaged but still standing, and waiting for the right circumstances to shine.
Kara pushes into the building behind me, a box of cleaning supplies balanced in her arms. She drops it on the counter with a huff.
“Damn,” she curses, brushing her finger along the top of the forgotten counter. “It is dusty. And dark. I’ll make a run for somelight bulbs and more rags. I have a feeling you’re going to need them.”
“Oh good thinking.”
I’m already twelve steps ahead of her, picking out paint colors and compiling a list of decorations I want to buy.
“I think we’ll just focus on this side of things for tonight. If we can get the bathrooms into reasonable shape, and a few tables I think the rest can wait until after the party. Do you think some of this wallpaper will come off in chunks big enough to frame? It might be kind of fun to have actual throwback art on the walls.”
“Lottie.” Kara is standing at the counter, a giant smile plastered to her face. “Take a second. Look around. You did it. This is happening”
A surge of pride wells in my chest and I burst into an incredulous laugh. “It’s happening. It’s really fucking happening.”
“I’m going to buy some champagne. We are celebrating.”
By the time Kara and I finish for the day, I am drunk and covered from head to toe in grime. Our celebratory toast out of plastic cups turned into taking swigs right from the bottle any time we stumbled on something in worse condition than we thought.
The windows turned out to be coated in grease and took most of the afternoon. Kara spent her time scrubbing the floors and scraping layers of dust off the worn vinyl booth benches.
We call a ride share, laughing and giddy the entire way home. As we burst in through the front door my phone buzzes, Noah’s face popping up on the screen.
“Hiiiiii…”
Kara spins around, notes the phone and mouths ‘is that Noah’, squealing when I nod.
“Am I too early?”
I giggle and sink onto the couch. We’ve had an agreement that he only call after nine, to lessen the chance that Kara will overhear.
“No. And you don’t have to worry about that anymore. I told Kara about you.”
“Oh?”
I nod my head, emphatically even though he can’t see me. “Yep. And she approves.”
Kara gives me two thumbs up before slipping down the hall. A moment later the bathroom door clicks shut, followed by sounds of the shower.
“I’m glad to hear it. How was your day?”
“My day was fan-fucking-tastic.”
