Page 48 of The Fix-Up

“I’ve never done it before, but I’m sure I can handle it,” he said smugly.

With a snort, I shook my head. Why did people think being a server was easy? It was not. Not even close. I’d waitressed a lot in LA. Cheap bars, fancy restaurants, diners, cocktail bars. It was not easy. “It’s not that simple, you know. How are your soft skills? Cleaning up spilled milk? Topping off coffee cups? Do you feel the customer is always right?”

His eyes drifted to the side, and he shifted on his feet. “I’m not exactly a people person.”

“No biggie.” Iris strolled by with a plate piled high with the hungry man special. “I’m not a people person either.”

We watched as she practically slammed the plate in front of Griffin Jones. “There. Eat, old man.”

Griffin snatched his fork from the table and glared at her. “You’ll not get a tip from me with that attitude.”

Iris rolled her eyes. “Well, since you still tip like it’s nineteen sixty-two, I guess I’ll have to earn those ten cents from someone else.”

“Mouthy brat.”

“Senile goat.”

Suddenly, Griffin grinned and pushed his coffee cup toward the edge of the table. “Top off my coffee for me, would you?”

Iris sighed with feeling. “I guess.” But she winked at him as she strolled away to grab the coffee.

Griffin’s grin widened, showing off the dentures he’d gotten last month. “I do like the feisty ones.”

Gil frowned. “Maybe not customer service.”

“Right. Come on. Let me introduce you to Jorge and then you can learn how to top off the ketchup bottles. It’s fun, I swear.”

EIGHTEEN

Love is a thing that we use to make relationships, we wouldn’t have Valentine’s Day without it.

—JORDAN C., AGE 9

From the group text of Ellie and her sisters:

BETSY: I hate Valentine’s Day.

AGGIE: Aw, come on. All the chocolate…

BETSY: I didn’t say I hated Valentine’s candy. That’s what February 15th is for. I love Discount Candy Day.

MILLIE: Caleb sent me roses.

BETSY: Of course he did.

MILLIE: We’re going to dinner tomorrow. He’s driving up from Dallas and he made reservations at a fancy restaurant and everything.

ELLIE: Why did I even bother to check what you all were talking about? Millie, read the room. No one wants to hear about your perfect boyfriend and your perfect relationship.

AGGIE: How are you really feeling there, El?

ELLIE: It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine.

Oliver threw himself down, making the entire bed shake. Two little hands pushed against my shoulder. “It’s Balentine’s Day, Mommy. Time to get up.”

I groaned and cracked one eye to find him grinning down at me. He’d lost four front teeth within weeks of each other and seeing that gap-toothed smile always brightened my day. Except when it was before my 4a.m. alarm.

“Sir. We have talked about waking Mommy up before the alarm goes off.”

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