“Stop it!” she blurted out, breaking into fresh sobs. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”
“No, no.” His tone was soothing. “It’s okay. I think I get it.”
“Idon’t even get it,” she choked out. “I-I wish I-I hadn’t abandoned her. Not like that! Sheneedsme.” She sobbed. “And—and—I need her too.” She was crying harder now. And it was an ugly cry too. She went on blubbering and nearly choked when she tried to stop. She was crying so hard, it was painful. Turning from him, she attempted to breathe and inwardly scolded herself for being so juvenile. She tried to calm herselfby staring out at the peaceful snowscape all around, but nothing worked. Like a bad Seattle rain, the tears kept falling.
Something light landed on her lap, and she turned to see a neatly folded red bandanna there. She choked out a gruff thank-you, then used it to blot her wet face. She took some slow, deep breaths, trying to compose herself enough to speak.
“I, uh, I don’t usually fall apart like that,” she said quietly. “In fact, I can’t remember ever doing that before.”
“It’s okay,” he repeated. “I think I get it.”
“Really? Then can you please explain it to me?”
He chuckled. “Okay, I’ll try.” He shared more about the difficult era when his heart got broken by the woman he’d planned to marry. “I threw myself into my restaurant, gave it everything I had—time, money, energy. And I know it takes that kind of devotion to make a restaurant work, but it wasn’t healthy.”
She nodded. In a weird way, she understood.
“During the COVID shutdowns, I started having anxiety attacks and, later on, I think it morphed into depression. I blamed it on the money I was losing from forced closures, but looking back now, I know it was because I wasn’t crazy-busy like I’d been before. I had too much time to think ... to deal with repressed feelings ... to admit I’d been in denial.”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded, afraid to admit that sounded way too familiar.
“So anyway, when I heard Mom needed help with Dad, it felt like a sign that I needed to let the restaurant go.” He shook his head. “But it wasn’t easy. Vittorio’s was all I had. Or so it seemed. Like a dog with a bone, I wouldn’t let it go, even if a T-bone steak was waiting for me.”
“Living with your parents is a T-bone steak?”
“Surprisingly, yes. At first it seemed like a sacrifice, you know, to give up my dream. But it felt like the right thing to do.” He let out a long sigh. “A few months after I moved back, I was out on the tractor. It was a sunny spring day. Everything was comingup green and smelling fresh and clean, and it just hit me. I washome.” He shrugged. “And out there, discing the alfalfa field, I started to just bawl like a great, big baby. I thought I was crying about losing my restaurant, but then I realized I was crying for my mom and my dad ... and for being there when they needed me. It felt good to be needed like that. It felt good to be home.”
“Wow,” she said under her breath. “I think you do understand.”
“Yeah ... and just for the record, I never told that story to anyone before, but I figure you’re safe since you’re leaving the country.” His laugh was stiff.
“I won’t repeat your story,” she promised, frowning at the heavy gray sky lurking ahead. “Sure looks dark out there. Does the sun go down this early?”
“Not this early. Looks like bad weather. Have you checked your flight lately? You sure everything’s still on time? We’re not that far from Grand Rapids, and that storm looks pretty thick in that direction.” He pointed ahead. “And snow’s starting up again.”
“I should’ve gotten a text or email if my flight was canceled.” She tugged her phone from her bag only to discover it was dead. She had been so focused on spending her last day with her aunt that she forgot to charge it. “I don’t suppose you have a charger cord in here?”
“I keep meaning to get one, but it has to plug into the cigarette lighter with this old truck. Not easy to find.”
“Radio?” she tried.
“We can do better.” He reached into his coat pocket. “Use mine. Although connection can be patchy.” He told her his passcode, but it took a while to connect.
They were just outside the city, and it was nearly whiteout conditions when she got online. She pulled up her flight info and deflated. “It says it’s delayed,” she told him. “I’ll check my email.”
“Well, no point going to the airport before you know for sure.” Victor pulled into a parking lot while they waited.
“Yep, I got an update,” she announced. “My flight is officially canceled.”
“You don’t seem too disappointed.” He sounded surprised.
She considered her feelings. “Honestly, I think I’m relieved.”
He grinned at her. “Me too.”
“And you know what?” She broke into a big smile. “I’ve made up my mind.”
“About?”
