Valentine's Diner

Chapter 30 - August 1st, 2001

'Sookie! I'm home, honey!' Anna shouts as she enters the house. Silence. Anna walks in the kitchen and notices the letters and the note. She reads the note.

I'm sorry, mom. Please give people the letters before you read your own. You don't need to worry, I'm fine, I'm safe. I just ... Give the letters to the right people and then you'll know.

Anna's face falls. Where's her daughter? She takes the letters and reads the names. Mom, Valentine, Maia, Paul, Thomas, Mateo. No Clara. Anna sighs and fights some tears. She trusts the word of her daughter. She puts her suitcase in a corner and takes the letters with her.

She enters Valentine's Diner. To her luck, every person she's looking for is there. She hurries to Valentine. 'What's wro-' 'You need to sent you customers home, now. It's important!' Anna says desperate to read her letter. 'Okay?' Valentine says frowning. 'I'm sorry, but you have to leave. There's an emergency. No one has to pay for their food or drinks,' Valentine says trough the diner. 'The Hanlins and Ainsleys stay,' Anna says. Mateo wants to stand up, ready to leave. 'Young man, you need to stay too,' Anna says. Surprised Mateo sits back in his chair.

As soon as the costumers are gone, Anna starts speaking. 'I think Sookie is gone. She left some letters for us to read,' Anna nervously says. 'Mom, she probably organised a scavenger's hunt,' Thomas laughs. Anna looks at him with a serious face. 'It's not a joke, Thomas Hanlin,' Anna firmly says and hands him his letter. She then proceeds to give everyone their letter.

'She probably didn't want to read them togheter, but I want to. I want to know why I get a not saying she's sorry. I want to know what's wrong with my daughter.' 'Okay,' Valentine says. 'Maia, you go first,' Anna says. 'Err... Okay,' Maia says and opens her letter.

Dear Maia

You were my best friend from the moment we met, and that was pretty soon in our lives. You stayed with me all this time, twenty years. Twenty years of friendship and not ever have you not been my friend. I would probably be a stoner if it wasn't for you. And you would've probably died of clumsyness if I wouldn't have been there for you too.

As you are reading this, I'm far away. I needed to get away. As you know, I wasn't happy anymore for the last months. I was drowning in sadness, in my tears. I don't want that. I want to breathe, I want to be me again. I want to be the Sookie I was three years ago. Free, happy, unworried, in peace with myself and the world.

I'm going to miss you, Maia. Be nice to Clara, she did nothing wrong. I wish you the best with Mateo, I really think he's the right person for you.

Love, Sookie

Maia wipes away her tears. 'She didn't say goodbye,' Maia cries. 'She didn't to any of us,' Paul says. 'I'll read next,' Mateo says.

Dear Mateo

I haven't known you for a long time, but I don't have to. To me you are the young man Maia described everytime she would fantasize about a boyfriend. You are the perfect one for her, don't ever doubt about that. She's happy with you, she really is. I don't know if you said it to each other already or not, but she loves you.

Now, here's something you should know. If Maia is sad or seems to act weird in any way and you can't cheer her up, make coffee. Not the coffee you sell on campus, that one is disgusting. I mean the real coffee. Valentine Ainsley's coffee is the best coffee you are ever going to find. It's also the only coffee that can cheer Maia up. 

You better start learning how to make that coffee, she's going to be sad after she read her letter.

Anyways, I like you, you seem a good person. So if it wasn't clear earlier, I approve of you. ;)