Darcy and her father return back to their old stomping grounds of New York City. With her, Darcy brings habits of being reclusive. She is perfectly content spending most of her time within the walls of her father's café and sees nothing wrong with t...
if you're an old reader from the original, you may remember this chapter! i still found it important in establishing the closeness darcy has with her staff at the café. i didn't have to do much editing either which was nice and why this chapter came to you in just another week! ignore weird mistakes and typos, hope you enjoy! xx
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Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." - Lilo and Stitch
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"Darcy?" Papa called from the living room. "Where's the gift you bought for Evan's kid?"
I was finishing up brushing my hair in the bathroom, which proved to be quite a feat with such the long length. It's been over a year since I've last cut it. I began to pull it into its usual braid as I called back to him, saying, "Did you check the counter? I put it in a bag this morning when I woke up. There should be a card in there for him, too."
He made a noise of understanding before shouting back to me a moment later, "What's this little animal called again?"
I feigned offense – though some of it was genuine – as I came into the living room. Papa held the stuffed Stitch in his hands with confusion evident on his face as he tried to remember where he'd seen the familiar blue creature before. I was slightly disappointed in him, not gonna lie. He should know who Stich was with me as a daughter. Clearly.
"From that Disney movie, Papa," I said, taking it from him and placing it back in the bag. I adjusted the tissue paper and slipped the letter back on the side. "Lilo and Stitch, remember? There's this whole overall theme of ohanas, which means family in Hawaiian culture. Evan's ohana just grew one person bigger, so I thought getting him a Stitch would be more meaningful than just any old stuffed animal."
He hummed. "Can't seem to remember that movie."
I was more than happy to jog his memory. "Well, we will watch it tonight, then," I declared.
Before our movie lie in, though, we were throwing Evan a congratulatory dinner at the cafe after closing time. The pictures he sent of his baby boy were the most precious thing in the world, and it brought good spirits to the staff to see them. He's taken time off to help settle everything at home, and Papa's allowed him another week to make sure all is well before he came back to work. I, of course, was more than happy to cover those shifts for him. I've started to take it upon myself to write little messages on the backs of cups and bags. A little quirk of a smile or even the slightest of chuckles from a customer makes it all worth it. What better way to brighten your own day than by brightening another?
Papa nodded compliantly, to my delight, and handed me the bag as I put on my coat. "Go on now, get to work. Tell the others I'll be there tonight. Keep 'em on their toes – lunch hour's been hectic with the oncoming holidays and what not."
