Escape

Chapter III - Dark (Now)

I can't afford an interruption. Maybe you can ask about your little problem too.

Those words floated in Hannah's mind all week. Once she made the appointment, the words drowned her heart.

Hannah wanted children.
Her husband didn't.

She wasn't even upset anymore about her 'problem' as her husband called it. The disappointment of knowing she wouldn't have a baby in the near future quashed her embarrassment.

Hannah's doctor sent over the birth control prescription to her pharmacy. She planned to pick it up after work since it was on her way home. Walking out of the doctor's office, Hannah put on her brave face because she had to go to work.

Hannah parked in her spot behind the restaurant and smiled. It was Friday.

Hannah locked the restaurant door behind her, turned off the alarm and put her things in the office. Her morning routine consisted of batching out the register from the previous night and making the final bookkeeping notations for Liz.

Hannah heard the specific knock on the door and walked up to the front. She waved and unlocked the door.

"Good morning, Liz." Hannah locked the door back since the rest of the staff wouldn't be in for another twenty minutes or so.

"Morning, Hannah. How are you today?" Liz neatly stacked the menus at the hostess stand, put a couple pens back in the cup holder and threw away a peppermint wrapper. Liz was a great boss. She didn't ask her employees to do anything that she either hadn't done before or wouldn't do herself.

"Are you okay?"

"Sorry, Liz. G'mornin'."

"Hannah, is something wrong?"

Liz noticed a change in Hannah. She remembered when Hannah always smiled. Liz called her 'Walking Sunshine.' She hadn't seen Hannah shine in a while.

"Oh, I'm fine. Really." Hannah quickly put on a smile and opened the blinds.

Liz didn't buy it. "Do you have any plans for tonight?"

"No, I don't. Why?"

"Good. We're going out. Girl's night. An 'off the record' girl's night." Liz knew Hannah needed to talk. A night out with a problem forgetter drink would help, if only for an hour or so.

"I'd like that. I just need to text Niall."

After texting her husband, Hannah unlocked the door for the rest of the staff. They soon had their morning meeting and prepared for the day.

Liz asked Hannah to act as manager because she had a meeting at the corporate office downtown. She would be gone well into the dinner rush but would still meet her at On The Rocks for their girl's night.

Hannah gladly accepted and was up for the challenge.***

"Alex, table seven needs refills and more breadsticks. Could you see to that, please?" Hannah nodded towards the direction of the table as she set the serving tray on the stand.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Alex was the newest team member. He needed a little more finesse. He had a friendly personality to make up for it while he learned the skill of waiting tables.

"Enjoy, and if you need anything, just let your waiter or me know. My name's Hannah." She smiled at the five-top table and brought the tray and stand to the kitchen area.

Hannah noticed the clock above the door and made her way up to the front.

"Okay, Val. You're free to go." Hannah took off her apron and hid it behind the hostess stand as she took Valerie's place.