stranger—”
“ I think the
word you're looking for is 'friend,' but I'll let it slide since
it's so new to you.”
“— and you've
just allowed me to come in here, basically mooching off you and
sleeping on your couch.”
Ryan holds up a
finger. “I offered you my bed, but you declined. More than once, I
might add.”
I smack his finger
down. “I'm serious.”
“ Okay, fine.”
He sighs and begins pacing around the room. “A few years ago, a
buddy of mine, Sam, was going through a rough time. His fiancée died in a car accident and
he wasn't taking it well. I suspected he was depressed, but I had
no idea how serious it had gotten. None of us knew. One day, I
decided to stop by to check on him, see if he was doing okay.” He
pauses and his eyes find mine. “I found him on the kitchen floor
with a bottle of pills in his hand. He was lucky, though. If I had
gotten there an hour after that, he probably would have been
dead.”
My mouth falls open
and I clutch my heart. “Ryan...”
“ It's the
most terrified I've ever been in my life. I knew why he did it
before he even told me, and it got me thinking...wondering what it
would be like to be in his shoes. Would I let myself be so consumed by darkness that I
ignore the beauty that still surrounds me? I know I would be
upset—that's a given—but would I want to end my life?” He pushes
himself back up and steps closer. “Life isn't easy, and things will
happen that are going to suck, but we've got to move past them...no
matter how hard it is. There will be moments where life is in
disarray, but eventually it will all work out. It can happen out of
the blue, but it's only temporary, like most things in life. I
choose to stay strong, keep myself out of that darkness, and hold
out a hand to anyone who needs it.”
Ryan's story nearly
crushes my heart. I can't even begin to imagine facing something as
huge as that. He's right—what's happening is only temporary. It may
feel like my life is falling apart, but I can pick myself up. And
when I can't pick myself up, I can reach for the hand that's
offered. “Ryan?”
“ Yeah?”
I wrap my arms
around his waist and just hold him. “Thank you for being you.”
His arms encircle
me, hands stroking over my back and hair. “You're welcome.”
~*~
The next day, I
make a few phone calls to follow up on my applications. The
managers I speak to tell me they'll be in touch to set up
interviews soon. I cross my fingers that soon really does mean what
I think it means. Even though working isn't the easiest thing in
the world, I can see myself going stir crazy if I'm stuck in a rut
and have nothing to do except read and watch TV around here.
Since it's Friday,
it's payday at the diner, which means I have to suck it up and go
back in there to pick up my last paycheck. I'm not looking forward
to facing Geoffrey again, but it'll be the last time I ever have to
deal with him.
At least there's a
bright side to it.
The minute I
pull into the parking lot, I notice there are several empty
parking spaces. Usually they have a
decent lunch crowd on Fridays. I walk inside and the first person I
see is Willa. Her auburn hair is in two pigtail braids, and she's
wearing her trademark red lipstick. She glances up at me, then does
a double take and runs over. “Hey, what's up?”
“ Hey. I'm
here to pick up my last paycheck.”
“ Damn it.”
She clenches a fist, scrunching up her face. “I was hoping it
wasn't true. ”
“ Hoping what
wasn't true?”
“ That you
quit.” She leans in closer. “You were the only person I could stand
to work with around here.”
I press my lips
together to hold back my chuckle. “I'm sorry.”
Willa waves away my
apology. “Don't be. If I were in your shoes, I would've done the
exact same thing. Gimme one sec. I'll go grab your paycheck from
the back.” She gives me a wink and runs back there.
I stand near the
door so I can make a quick exit before Geoffrey sees
“ I think the
word you're looking for is 'friend,' but I'll let it slide since
it's so new to you.”
“— and you've
just allowed me to come in here, basically mooching off you and
sleeping on your couch.”
Ryan holds up a
finger. “I offered you my bed, but you declined. More than once, I
might add.”
I smack his finger
down. “I'm serious.”
“ Okay, fine.”
He sighs and begins pacing around the room. “A few years ago, a
buddy of mine, Sam, was going through a rough time. His fiancée died in a car accident and
he wasn't taking it well. I suspected he was depressed, but I had
no idea how serious it had gotten. None of us knew. One day, I
decided to stop by to check on him, see if he was doing okay.” He
pauses and his eyes find mine. “I found him on the kitchen floor
with a bottle of pills in his hand. He was lucky, though. If I had
gotten there an hour after that, he probably would have been
dead.”
My mouth falls open
and I clutch my heart. “Ryan...”
“ It's the
most terrified I've ever been in my life. I knew why he did it
before he even told me, and it got me thinking...wondering what it
would be like to be in his shoes. Would I let myself be so consumed by darkness that I
ignore the beauty that still surrounds me? I know I would be
upset—that's a given—but would I want to end my life?” He pushes
himself back up and steps closer. “Life isn't easy, and things will
happen that are going to suck, but we've got to move past them...no
matter how hard it is. There will be moments where life is in
disarray, but eventually it will all work out. It can happen out of
the blue, but it's only temporary, like most things in life. I
choose to stay strong, keep myself out of that darkness, and hold
out a hand to anyone who needs it.”
Ryan's story nearly
crushes my heart. I can't even begin to imagine facing something as
huge as that. He's right—what's happening is only temporary. It may
feel like my life is falling apart, but I can pick myself up. And
when I can't pick myself up, I can reach for the hand that's
offered. “Ryan?”
“ Yeah?”
I wrap my arms
around his waist and just hold him. “Thank you for being you.”
His arms encircle
me, hands stroking over my back and hair. “You're welcome.”
~*~
The next day, I
make a few phone calls to follow up on my applications. The
managers I speak to tell me they'll be in touch to set up
interviews soon. I cross my fingers that soon really does mean what
I think it means. Even though working isn't the easiest thing in
the world, I can see myself going stir crazy if I'm stuck in a rut
and have nothing to do except read and watch TV around here.
Since it's Friday,
it's payday at the diner, which means I have to suck it up and go
back in there to pick up my last paycheck. I'm not looking forward
to facing Geoffrey again, but it'll be the last time I ever have to
deal with him.
At least there's a
bright side to it.
The minute I
pull into the parking lot, I notice there are several empty
parking spaces. Usually they have a
decent lunch crowd on Fridays. I walk inside and the first person I
see is Willa. Her auburn hair is in two pigtail braids, and she's
wearing her trademark red lipstick. She glances up at me, then does
a double take and runs over. “Hey, what's up?”
“ Hey. I'm
here to pick up my last paycheck.”
“ Damn it.”
She clenches a fist, scrunching up her face. “I was hoping it
wasn't true. ”
“ Hoping what
wasn't true?”
“ That you
quit.” She leans in closer. “You were the only person I could stand
to work with around here.”
I press my lips
together to hold back my chuckle. “I'm sorry.”
Willa waves away my
apology. “Don't be. If I were in your shoes, I would've done the
exact same thing. Gimme one sec. I'll go grab your paycheck from
the back.” She gives me a wink and runs back there.
I stand near the
door so I can make a quick exit before Geoffrey sees
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