Searching for Eve

The Diner

The Diner

I pushed open the door of the diner. "After you, ma'am."

Kay laughed. "My mother is a ma'am. I'm simply a dear."

"Well, dear." I said, grabbing her hand. "Are you ready for the best meal of your life?"

"Aren't I always?"

As Kay spoke with the waitress seating us, I let my eyes wonder around the room. Little had changed since that day--the big ocean mural still greeted patrons on the far wall and the stage still graced the front of the dining area. Would Eve be playing there later?

No. I couldn't think about that. My girl, the love of my life, was sitting across from me, and I didn't know what was going through that pretty head of hers. We needed time together. We needed to get back to how we were before.

I grabbed her hand as the waitress walked away. "What do you think?"

"This place is beautiful, D. How did you find it?"

I clenched my jaw before answering. "I, uh, used to go here a lot..."

"With Eve." She finished, as if realization had dawned on her. "This is the diner."

I nodded. "Yeah."

"You don't have to seem so strong, D. I know this is bothering you, too."

"What am I to say? That I have a missing sister, a useless father and a mother whose addiction is a poolboy? That I feel like crap because of it? Kay, I'm numb to my parents' crap. And yes, Eve's disappearance is eating me alive. I can't stand knowing I could've done something differently, that this whole mess could have been avoided. But it wasn't. And the only thing I can do is hold on to the things I know are real: Eve's safe, and I have you. Honestly, that's becoming enough for me."

"Are you...are you going to stop?"

Shaking my head, I closed my eyes. "No, I'm not. I'll never stop searching, not when I'm so close to finding her."

She shook her head, letting go of my hands. "How can I believe you, D?"

How can I believe you? In the years we had been friends, in the years we had been together, I never thought I would hear her say those words. God, I never wanted to hear those words. How can I believe you? The words that always signalled the end was coming.

I took a breath. "What's keeping you from believing me?"

"This." She said, motioning at the table. "You had the biggest lead, and you walked off. You could have found her."

I wanted to stand up. I wanted to yell. I wanted to cause a scene. I wanted her to know that I did it for her. But I didn't. I took a sip of my sweet tea and looked in her eyes. "Do you remember the day I asked you to be my girlfriend?"

She nodded.

"Do you remember what I said?"

She nodded.

"I told you two girls mattered to me, you and Eve. Do you remember what I said after that?"

She nodded.

"I promised you I would love you until the day I died, but that Eve was my family. She was the only shred of hope I had left in them. That there would come times I needed to put her before you and that you would have to understand that."

"And I do." She said.

"Then you understand that I have been so consumed in finding her that I've damaged our relationship? You understand that I needed to do this, to take you out on a date and remind you that I love you more than I did the day I made that promise? That tomorrow, I might not answer my phone because I'm searching but tonight, you get my full attention?"

She blinked. "You see it, too?"

I opened my mouth to reply but was cut off by the waitress setting our food on the table. "Thank you." I said. Waiting until she left, I turned back to Kay. "Darling, of course I see it. You're hurting, and I'm causing a lot of it."

She grabbed my hand. "Just knowing you see it makes me feel better."

I smiled. We had skirted around the issue, scratching only the surface of what was truly wrong. She didn't know why I brought her to this particular diner or that I believed I had already found my sister. She didn't know that the night still had a few more surprises.

"I'm going to the restroom." Kay announced as the waitress collected the plates.

I nodded. After she was out of earshot, I faced the waitress. "Could we have this table for another hour? I can pay for whatever it costs."

She smiled. "Let me check."

"Thank you."

The meal had gone remarkably well considering the rocky start, and I was confident in what was soon to follow.

"Sir?" A man's voice said. I recognized him immediately as the owner. "I have been informed you would like to occupy this table for another sitting."

"Yes, I would, sir. You see, it's been a long week for my girlfriend and I, and the music tonight is a surprise for her. This is her first time here."

"Ah, I see. Well, it would be our pleasure to have you both for a little bit longer." As an afterthought, he added, "Would you like to be moved closer to the stage?"

I shook my head. "Oh, no. This table is perfect, thank you."

As he walked off, I saw a face peer out from behind the curtain.