Page 81 of Beautiful Harmony

“It shouldn’t be too much longer, Emma.” Georgia, one of the servers at Nan’s Diner, gave her an apologetic look as she hurried past her carrying a tray loaded with Monday’s Meatloaf Madness dinner special.

“It’s fine,” Emma called after her. She snagged a seat from the row of chairs near the entrance and studied her phone. Lucas had texted her a few hours ago to say he was working late. She’d worked a little late herself before going home and grabbing a light dinner.

An hour later, she’d hopped in the car and driven back downtown. She knew Lucas. He would get so wrapped up in work that he wouldn’t eat dinner. She was being a good friend by grabbing him dinner at Nan’s.

Or you can’t go even a day and a half without seeing Lucas.

The door opened, and cold air washed across her calves and feet. She glanced up and then immediately stared down at her phone again. Seo-Jun from the coffee shop may have been the biggest gossip in Harmony Falls, but the two women who’d just walked into the diner did their best to give her a run for their money. Paula Plink and Denise Macklin were retired nurses who spent their days volunteering for various organizations. Not so much out of a desire to be helpful but rather to give them more opportunities to butt in on the private lives of the residents of Harmony Falls.

Emma had been the repeated target of their gossip over the years, and for a moment, she seriously considered trying to sneak to the washroom before they noticed her. She didn’t feel like having a fake conversation with them while they stared at her birthmark with twin looks of pity and then told everyone they ran into for the next twenty-four hours what a shame it was about her face.

She opted for staying completely still. They were as old as T-Rex’s. Maybe their vision was based on movement as well.

“Be right with you!” Wren, a small and pale blonde who looked like a light wind would knock her down, hurried past carrying a tray of drinks.

“Take your time, dear,” Paula said.

When Wren was out of earshot, she said, “I hear that girl has an eating disorder.”

“She lives in South Falls. She’s probably a meth head like everyone else who lives there. That’s why she’s so skinny,” Denise said. “Why Nan would even hire someone like her to work at the diner, I don’t know. She’s always wearing those long sleeve shirts, have you noticed?”

“Of course, I’ve noticed,” Paula said. “She’s probably hiding the needle tracks.”

“Undoubtedly,” Denise said. “Betsy saw her the other day at Albertsons, and she was barely buying enough to feed a bird. All her money is probably going straight to drugs. Such a shame when someone so young can’t get their life together. In fact, I… oh my God, they’re here.”

“Who’s here?” Paula said.

“That new family. They bought the Thorson farm,” Denise said.

“Where? I don’t see them,” Paula said.

“Are you blind? Over to the left in the booth near the kitchen,” Denise said.

Emma glanced in the direction of the kitchen. A dark-haired man sat in the booth, and she studied the prominent burn scars on his face. A girl of about seven sat beside him, and Emma smiled when the little girl got on her knees and grabbed his face. She turned it toward hers so she could kiss him on the cheek before pointing to the colouring page before her.

She said something to him, and he nodded indulgently before picking up a crayon and helping her colour. Across from them, a slender woman with a kind face showed the boy sitting beside her something on her phone.

“Such a shame about his face,” Paula said. “He’d be handsome if it wasn’t for that. Seo-Jun said they come into the coffee shop all the time. She says his face is just a horrible sight up close. She says it hurts her to even look at it.”

“If I were him, I wouldn’t even go out in public,” Denise said. “All those people staring at me… why, I couldn’t stand it.”

“He doesn’t seem to be too bothered,” Paula said. “Even though half the people here are staring at him.”

Emma glanced around the diner. Paula was right, most people were staring at him, and a few were outright gawking. She turned her gaze back to the man named Gabriel. He smiled at his wife as she leaned closer and said something to him, and even from her spot by the door, Emma could see the love in his eyes. Their entire focus was on each other and their kids. Even when Martha, a thin silver-haired waitress who wasn’t known for her tact, stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him open-mouthed, neither Gabriel nor his wife noticed.

It was like they were in their own little bubble where nothing penetrated the love and warmth they’d wrapped around each other. Envy washed over Emma. What she wouldn’t give to be in a bubble like that and to not always be so hellishly aware of every look and every muttered comment.

“Emma, here’s your food. Sorry for the wait.” Georgia held out a grease spotted brown bag.

Emma stood and took the bag from her. “Thanks, Georgia. Have a good night.”

“You too,” Georgia said.

Emma turned, smiling stiffly at Paula and Denise.

“Oh, hello, Emma.” Paula stared at her birthmark, not bothering to hide the pity in her gaze. “We didn’t see you there, did we, Denise?”

“We didn’t,” Denise said.

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