Heart Beats

Chapter Two ~Photo of Chrystal

The pizza parlor’s bright lights welcomed them up. Opening the door, the familiar smell of pizza filled the open air, the sound of people talking occupied the space between. Turning around Alison made sure Cooper and Caroline hadn’t tried running off somewhere.

Walking up to the front counter Victor the owner of the Pizza Parlor welcomed them. The man’s restaurant had been open for more than fifteen years.

It was a place anyone could go when having a bad day and be surrounded by people they loved and have a great time, despite what the day may have thrown at them. For many years people have been coming here and since Alison could remember she too had been coming here.

This was the place her father would always bring her when she was felling down, they would go into the game room and share lots of laughs together. Alison’s heart ached at the memories of her father; it had been two years since he passed away from his sickness.

Before the pain became unbearable she stopped herself from thinking of such things, she knew she would surely cry and that was something she certainly didn’t want to do here, not in front of her friends, her brother and sister and all the people she loved, once she was alone in her room where nobody could see, she could let it out then, but not now.

“Long time no see” Victor’s words pulled her out of her thoughts, Alison could feel tears at the breach of breaking free from her eyes, quickly before they could do just that, she turned and wiped them away.

The man was extremely kind, living in a small town everybody knew each other and there were just some people you were glad you knew more than others. Victor and Victoria were in that category. Victor and Victoria were like family, they were like having a third pair of grandparents.

For her they were the only grandparents living, except for her grandmother on her father’s side, whom she never really was able to see, because she’s lived four hours away, the last time she had seen her was at her father’s funeral, she didn’t look to good, but Alison thought it was just from the sorrow of losing her son.

 “Hey Victor, how have you been?” she asked after recovering

“Been real busy today, but that’s a good thing” he answered.

“Well, come right this way and I’ll have you seated right away” Victor said. Coming out from behind the counter he led the way down to a booth seat in the corner of the restaurant, reaching the table he held out both his hands to his side in the direction of the table with a big smile and a gleam in his eyes.

“Thank you” Alison nodded her head as she waited for her brother and sister to climb in then she took her seat at the edge. Lia and Chrystal took their seats next to each on the other side of the table. Alsion wanted to protest and tell one of them to sit next to her but thought better of it, if she said something now she could very well start something on her own, right now would be a good time for them to bond.

“Can I take your ladies’ order?” Victor asked as he pulled out a notepad from his shirt pocket. “The usually?” he asked.

“Yes except can we get two raspberry teas for the kids, please” Alison asked with a smile. After taking the order the older gentlemen started his way back to the front of the restaurant.

Thinking wisely of her words Alison tried breaking the silence. “Remember when we would go to the park when we were younger and we would get ice cream at the ice cream stand?” Alison was trying her best to bring up conversation that wouldn’t make either of the girls angry at each other.

“Yeah yeah, I remember that” Chrystal said with a big smile. Laughing Lia commented.

“Remember that one time the ice cream melted all over our hands and they were so sticky we thought if we let are fingers touch it would dry like super glue? So we walked around with our fingers all spread out” Lia demonstrated holding her fingers spread out in front of her, making all of them laugh at their slyness.