Out of the Ordinary

Chapter 39

"Maddie!"

I spun around and found Shantal coming through the door to the kitchen.

"There's a family out there asking for you."

I felt confusion morph my features. "For me?"

"Yeah, they said that they only wanted you to be their waitress, even when I explained that they were sitting at my table."

Dread settled in the pit of my stomach like a stone. "This family... is it a big guy with a beard and a short lady with dark hair?"

"And another younger couple with a little kid, yeah. You know them?"

"Maddie!" Julian rang the bell several times. "Let's go, pick up!"

I didn't even stop to fire something back at him—something about how I was a human being, not Pavlov's dog. I just picked up the tray filled with steaming hot food, and walked past him and Shantal through the swinging doors into the dining room.

They were there, I knew they were there. But I went about my business, served my table—a group of four middle-aged men—and tried to make it last as long as possible.

"You need anything else, guys?"

They all shook their heads.

"Are you sure? More water? Sir, do you want another beer?"

"No, I'm okay for now," he held up his nearly full glass with a smile. "Thanks."

"Right. Okay, well, if you need anything," I didn't want to turn around, "Let me know."

But I did.

"Madelyn!" My mother was waving at me. I tried to ignore her. "Madelyn, over here!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned slowly, as if just the sheer force of my will might make them disappear.

"Closing your eyes won't change the fact that we're here, Madelyn." My mother's voice cut through the noise in the restaurant, and I rushed forward, afraid she'd say more that might humiliate me in front of my co-workers and all of the patrons.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked in a hushed tone, staring at her patient smile, but it was Will who answered.

"It's good to see you too, Maddie-o."

That's when I remembered that Lilly was there. "How's my Lilly-girl?"

She wrapped her little arms around my neck when I leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. "Good," she said from her booster seat, returning her attention to her coloring as soon as I straightened up and moved onto Jenny.

"Hey," she said, as I hugged her, and I smiled down at her growing belly, putting a hand to the bump.

"How's the little guy?" I asked, hoping against hope that I might feel him kick.

"It's a girl," Will said matter-of-factly, staring at his menu.

Jenny ignored him, her hands falling to touch her rounded belly. "Busy in there. He's moving almost constantly at this point."

"She," Will reiterated.

Jenny rolled her eyes.

"Remind me," I said, amused. "Why don't you just find out what it is to avoid all this?"

"I want to be surprised!" Jenny said.

Will looked up at me. "Don't need to anyway. It's a girl."

I laughed again, then my mother interrupted. "She is carrying high and round. If you believe the old wives' tales, it's probably a girl."

"Boom!" Will shouted, too loudly, drawing the attention of other diners. It only reminded me where we were, that I was still on the clock, and that my family shouldn't have been here.