Page 123 of Just Ten Seconds

This is us. Me, Dean, and Amanda, our new life together.

The bell to the front door rings as Mr. Kenner walks in. He’s hunched over slightly, and he grips the backs of chairs as he makes his way to his usual table, which is next to ours.

“Good morning,” Dean says, but the old man only grunts.

I lay a hand on Dean’s arm and whisper, “That’s his way of saying hello.”

“Could have fooled me.”

While Dean and Amanda talk about her science project that she has to do by the end of the week, I notice Mr. Kenner is looking a little more dapper this morning. As he takes off his coat, he shows off a plaid button-down over his black pants. His hair is combed to the side, and he appears to be sitting up a little straighter.

The door to the café opens again, and in with the chill comes Rita. She looks around the café, and instead of stopping at me, she looks to Mr. Kenner with a smile. As she approaches, he goes to stand, but she assures him there’s no need.

“Sit. You have a bad back,” she says as she greets him hello.

As she takes a seat, he offers her a menu, something he hasn’t looked at for as long as I’ve worked here.

“They only serve breakfast and lunch here,” Mr. Kenner tells her. “But you can order anything off the menu, no matter the time. Try the turkey sandwich. It comes with some roasted red pepper nonsense, but if you ask for Hellmann’s, they’ll bring it over.”

“I don’t like turkey. Too dry. I’ll try the French toast,” she says.

“It comes with strawberry jam.” His gruff words come out as a warning to those who might be offended by the presence of jam.

She waves him off. “That’s good. I like to try new things.”

He clears his throat and calls over to Jackie, “We’ll have two orders of the French toast.”

Jackie blinks at him. “But you hate the French toast. You said it’s an abomination of the blueberry-topped original that Nick’s grandfather liked to make.”

Mr. Kenner looks at Rita and gives a crooked smile. “I think today is a good day to try something new.”

Jackie’s mouth drops to the floor as she takes the menu from Rita and says, “Coming right up.”

Even Nick and Manny are leaning out the kitchen window, basking in the oddity that is Mr. Kenner’s demeanor.

“What’s happening right now?” Dean asks, leaning into my ear, as confused as everyone else about Rita and Mr. Kenner dining together.

I smile up at him. “Well, they’re both widowed, and their children have moved away. I thought they could use the conversation.”

“So, you set them up?” he asks.

“I guess you could say that,” I say. “They’re not dating. I don’t think. They’re just”—I look over at their table and see Rita laugh as Mr. Kenner comments on something—“enjoying each other’s company.”

Dean lets out a sound that shows his surprise. When Rita looks my way, I give a small wave to her.

“Faccia bella. I didn’t know you were coming here,” Rita says as she swings around to hug me. “I see you are with your little family.” She gazes at Dean and Amanda. “How are you doing, bambina?”

“Good. I just got a hundred percent on my math test,” Amanda says with a mouthful of pancakes.

“Chew, please,” Dean instructs her.

She responds by taking a large swig of orange juice, a tiny bit spilling out of her mouth.

“And you, my handsome man”—she grabs Dean’s cheeks and gives them a squeeze—“how come you haven’t been over for coffee? We need to talk.”

I look at Dean, having no idea he has been having private coffee chats with my landlady.

He ignores me as he speaks to Rita, “I’ll be by this week. But only if you make those almond cookies I love.”