“Liz.” When she came over, I inquired further. “Pardon my asking, but is Elise okay?”
Liz’s lips were pursed together, forming a tight, thin line. I could tell that something was wrong or that something had happened.
“Elise’s husband died,” Liz said and quickly covered her mouth.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized and felt horrible.
Liz held her hand up to prevent me from saying anything else that might upset her. She collected the coffee for herself and for Elise and turned to leave quickly. Liz only made it to the door before she quickly returned to the receiving counter.Fuck, did I mess up their drinks?She set the drinks down and hurriedly rummaged through her purse. Liz pulled out two dollars and set them in my tip jar with a quick smile.
“See you later, Andrew,” she replied and left.
The following week when Liz came in and ordered both coffees, instead of writing her name on both of the cups, I wrote Elise’s name on one. Liz smiled when she saw it.
“Thank you, Andrew. Elise is having a really hard time,” Liz offered up.
“I can’t even imagine what she’s going through. I hope it wasn’t a sudden death,” I added.
Death was never easy; I knew this. But a sudden death was worse than one where there is an illness. My family had sustained three deaths within two weeks apart, and it had been hell.
“Her husband was a fire captain. He volunteered to go to Australia to help contain the fires,” Liz explained as she fumbled with the straw wrapper. “There had been high winds, and some trees fell, it closed off their route out and their water line.”
“Shit,” I said under my breath.
“There were twelve of them that died there in that accident.”
“That’s terrible.” I was shocked and couldn’t come up with anything that sounded positive to add.
“Elise was very close to her husband,” Liz said fondly.
“I would imagine all spouses would have a difficult time losing their partner.”
Liz smiled and looked down at her coffee as if she was considering whether or not she should keep talking to me.
“Elise and Jacob were different from a lot of other couples. They loved one another very much, but their love was on a deep, intense level. It was on a level that most couples don’t have, and many don’t even know about.”
Interesting.
I glanced at the door as a crowd began to form a line. I wished that I could have had the time to talk to Liz more. I kind of got the feeling that Liz liked the friendly face to chat with. I looked at our bakery display and remembered how Elise would sometimes get a cinnamon chip muffin. I grabbed a pastry bag and held it up for Liz to see.
“Do you think Elise would like a cinnamon chip muffin?” I asked.
“She hasn’t been eating much. However, I think maybe a cinnamon chip muffin just might make her smile.”
I quickly moved to the pastry display and put a muffin in the bag for her. I grabbed my marker and put a smiley face on the bag and handed it to Liz.
“Tell her I said hi, please.”
“I will. Thank you, Andrew.”
A week later, I sent Liz back with another cinnamon chip muffin for Elise. Liz commented that the muffin last week was a hit and that Elise ate the entire thing. As I handed the coffees to Liz and the bakery bag, she told me that Elise was starting to come around a little.
“She hasn’t been out of the house in nearly three months,” Liz said.
I nodded as I recalled how my father withdrew when my two brothers and mother died. I understood how grief grabs hold on someone and doesn’t let go. I began to wonder about how Elise was going to work. Though, maybe she didn’t work, I thought to myself.
“Yesterday was the first day that I was able to get her to go for a walk with me around the neighborhood.”
“That’s good. Getting out a little bit helps. Fresh air can do amazing things,” I commented as I recalled a passage that I had read in a book about dealing with grief. I knew I still had that book.
