Hope Lights the Way
by Camille Eide
When I clocked on to work,
my newest regular was already waiting at his usual booth. Mark was hard to miss—tall,
athletic build, neatly trimmed auburn hair. And strong hands. I’d noticed them the
first time I served him---including the gold band on his left hand, which told
me everything I needed to know.
Well, almost everything.
Because there was something
about Mark. Something familiar I couldn’t quite place, even after serving him breakfast
a half dozen times.
Approaching Mark’s booth, I
heard his voice, then saw a young girl in a purple dress studying her menu beside
him.
“So, is it breakfast for two?”
“Yep,” the girl said. “It’s
my Daddy day.”
Mark looked up from his menu
with a polite smile. “Hello, Lily.” His tailored suit and deep red tie struck a
stunning contrast to his usual jeans and work jacket. “This is my daughter, Ava.”
“Nice to meet you, Ava. What
a lucky girl, having your daddy all to yourself.”
“Yep. We can do anything I
want today. Right?”
He nodded. “To the best of
my abilities, princess.”
Ava beamed.
I filled his coffee mug,
then turned to Ava. “And something to drink for your highness? Juice? Hot cocoa?”
“I’ll have coffee.” Her fingers
covered a giggle.
With a nearly straight face,
Mark said, “She’ll have cocoa.”
Ava’s lower lip sagged. “You
said whatever I want.”
“I reserve the right to exercise
a royal override,” Mark said. “Only when your best interests require it.” He
turned to me. “Whipped cream and sprinkles?”
“Absolutely.”
After I posted their order,
I made my rounds. When I returned to Mark’s booth, he was telling Ava all the things
he loved about her. A mixed wave of appreciation and sadness washed over me. What
a priceless gift!
I refilled Mark’s coffee. “So,
Ava, you must be about six?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Wow—how’d you guess?” Mark asked.
“My daughter is six.” I smiled
at Ava. “You’re a very lucky girl. My daughter would love to have a daddy to
spend special time with.”
“What’s her name?” Ava
asked.
“Katie.”
Ava slurped her whipped
cream, then turned to Mark. “Daddy, can Katie come to the pumpkin patch with us
tomorrow?”
Oops. Poor Mark. He’d have to
pull out the “royal override” again. I decided to spare him. “Ava, that’s
really sweet, but—”
“Katie is welcome to join
us,” Mark said. “And you too, of course.”
Great. Using my child to finagle
an invite to another family’s outing was a first. “That’s really nice of you,
but—”
“Please?” Ava’s pleading
look, complete with whipped cream-mustache, was hard to resist.
Katie would have a blast and
could really use a new friend. “Well,” I searched Mark for signs of reluctance.
“Only if you’re sure your wife won’t mind a couple tagalongs....”
Mark’s gaze fell to his mug.
Blowing on her cocoa, Ava
shook her head. “Mommy’s in heaven. She won’t mind.”
I stared at Mark’s wedding
band, pulse racing. As if sensing my scrutiny, he twisted his ring a few times.
Slowly, he raised his dark eyes to mine, revealing an awkward discomfort I understood.
And then I knew why he seemed
so familiar.
A quiet ache trailed him
like a shadow. Like a lingering whisper reminding you someone is gone, but not
gone.
I touched my left ring
finger. The groove had almost vanished. Almost.
“It’s okay, Mark,” I said
softly. “I wore my ring for two years after Evan died.”
Something sparked in his
eyes, like a light in the distance after a long, dark journey. He studied me. “Does
it ever go away? The ache?”
His words nudged the tender,
healing wound I’d kept carefully guarded. “In time, it fades. But never
completely. I think...you just learn to live with it.”
His eyes never left mine. “So
you can go on. Find normal again.”
I smiled gently. “A new
normal.”
“Do you feel...anchored
again?”
So you feel that too. “I’m working on it.”
“My strawberry pancakes!”
Ava pointed to the galley.
I served their food and then
left them to enjoy their special day. In a silent prayer, I thanked God for the
chance to offer what little encouragement I could.
As I neared their table
again, Mark stood and stopped me. “Lily? Ava and I would be very honored if you
and Katie would accompany us to the pumpkin patch tomorrow.”
How could I resist? “We’d
love to. But it’s really muddy there. You’ll probably want to wear something
less...formal.” I winked at Ava. “I guess your daddy will just have to escort an
undercover princess.”
“You mean three princesses,” Mark said.
“Right, three.” I chuckled
lightly to mask my singing heart. “Lucky you. Too bad nobody will know we’re
royalty.”
“That’s okay.” He hoisted
Ava in one arm and smiled. “I’ll know.”
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