Page 105 of The Problem with Perfect

The sound of Millie’s voice has me spinning around to find my daughter standing in the doorway holding a brown paper bag from The Burger Bar in one hand and a small cup that’s probably a chocolate shake in the other.

“An EMT isn’t a doctor. Besides, I’m not an EMTanymore, so I can’t give medical advice. And the fact that you’re standing here right now means you walked here by yourself. You were supposed to call me.”

She shrugs and takes a sip of her shake then walks past me to sit at the table. “I did. You didn’t answer.”

I blink and dig my phone out of my back pocket, finding a missed call from The Burger Bar.

“Besides, Uncle Rudy knows you’re a weirdo about me walking alone, so he stood outside and watched me walk thetwo whole blocksto make sure I didn’t getkidnappedorabducted by aliens.”

She says this to me with the kind of exasperation only a child can seem to muster, all while she’s digging her burger and fries out of the bag and setting them out on the table for consumption.

“Rudy’s your uncle? The guy who owns the burger place?”

My head turns and I look at Ozzy, who I forgot was in the room for a second.

“Not really, but I’ve known him my whole life, and family isn’t just based on blood.”

Hearing the enthusiasm behind the way Millie says it has me hiding a smile. I’ve been telling her that for her entire life, never wanting her to feel like she doesn’t have enough family just because her mom isn’t around very often. Instead, all the people we love are family.

Uncle Rudy, the elderly owner of The Burger Bar, and his wife, Auntie Marie, are two of Millie’s favorite ‘family members.’

“I love that,” Ozzy says, a sweet smile on her face. “Choosing your family. My family is like that, too.”

Millie beams at her, little streaks of ketchup marking the edges of her mouth from where she tried to take too big of a bite into her burger.

“Really?”

Ozzy nods. “Yup.”

But just as quickly as Millie delights in finding someone who understands her, the sweet, tender heart she has tugs her expression into something filled with concern.

“So where’s your real family?”

Ozzy takes a deep breath, and for the briefest moment, I see something flash across her face that hints at an undeniable pain. Just as quickly, though, the look is gone, and that sweet expression is back on Ozzy’s face.

“You don’t have to answer that,” I tell her before she can say anything. My tone is gruffer than I intend, but I don’t like the soft spot that seemed to suddenly arrive out of nowhere. When it comes to Ozzy, no tenderness allowed. “Millie, you have to be careful when you ask people personal questions. Not everyone wants to talk about things like that.”

Millie looks at me in surprise, and it makes sense. Rarely does she hear this voice from me, and when she does, it’s because she’s in trouble. How am I supposed to explain to her that she’snotin trouble and instead I’m trying not to feel all sappy for one of my employees? Especially Ozzy.

“It’s alright,” Ozzy says, looking slightly uncomfortable but still speaking to Millie with a calm, gentle voice. “People’s lives are complicated, but it’s a wonderful thing to care enough to ask.”

I blink a few times, feeling something unfamiliar worming its way underneath my rib cage and scraping at the scar tissue that has been there for years.

Clearing my throat, I glance at my watch, realizing we’ve been back here for far too long during the busiest part of the night.

“I need to get back behind the bar. Ozzy, are you well enough to keep working, or do you need to go home for the night?”

I watch as she flexes her hand a few times, then her blue eyes look up and connect with mine.

“Might be a little sensitive, but I’ve got a high pain tolerance, so…” She bobs her head. “As long as you don’t want me to juggle glasses on the bar, I should be good.”

Millie giggles and I blink a few times, Ozzy’s joke catching me off guard.

“Okay, then head back out there, please. I’ll follow behind you.”

Instead of rushing off to follow my directions, she turns and looks at my daughter.

“I’m Ozzy, by the way. You’re Millie, right?”

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