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Ch.3-Heather, Like Feather

The next day started off great, and not just because Alec decided he didn’t want to make an appearance out of his room, though that was majority of the reason. My grandfather also set a plate of pancakes in front of me—complete with bacon and eggs—and I chowed down while he whistled a merry tune. It was a good day.

“You should go out today,” he suggested while rinsing off a pan. “Make some friends, meet people your age. If you’re here for the rest of the summer it couldn’t hurt.”

I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”

He rubbed his fingers over the scruff on his chin. “Do you like it here?”

“It’s quiet.”

He nodded. “Indeed it is.”

“I do like it. Apart from that maniac upstairs, it’s not too bad.”

My grandfather laughed. “Alec isn’t that horrible, Lilia.”

“Sure, whatever.” I pushed aside my plate when I was finished. “Are you sure you don’t need me to take him anywhere? Or cater to his every whim? Does he have another therapy appointment he won’t give a shit about?”

My grandfather’s mouth pressed into a thin line; not impressed. “Lily.”

“What?”

“Do not berate Alec so. You can’t fully blame him for his behavior.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, fully. That leaves room for some. And I do so blame him for his unpleasant disposition.”

“Lily.”

I sighed. “Fine, Grandpa. I was actually going to go down to the coffee shop in town. Do you want anything?”

“No, thanks,” he replied simply. “Have fun, though.”

I grabbed the keys and headed out, figuring any moment with no potential Alec encounters was a good one.

I slid into the car and started off toward the coffee shop in town. It was a quaint place; cozy and warm and so small-townish. I loved it. I parked out front and walked through the doors, immersing myself in the aroma of coffee beans and scones.

“Oh, bother.”

I snapped my gaze to the right, where a petite waitress with a pixie-style cut was staring at the floor, slick with what looked like iced coffee. And it was everywhere. She sighed and set the tray in her hands on a table behind her, grabbing a rag from my pocket and bending over to pick it up. And like the granddaughter of the saintly old man I was, I sauntered over to her. “Need some help?” I asked.

She glanced up at me, and I was taken aback a moment by just how large her eyes were. Large and brown and set upon an especially freckly nose. “Yeah,” she finally said, face cracking into a grin. “Yeah, that would be great. Thank you.”

“Sure.” I took the offered rag and set to work helping her out. We cleaned silently for several minutes, and she collected both soiled cloths when we had finished.

“It’s only my third day,” she explained. “My last job was at a bookstore and all I had to do was restock shelves. This is decidedly more difficult.”

I shrugged. It was just delivering drinks to tables. Didn’t seem so complex to me. “No worries. We aren’t perfect.”

She grinned again. It was kind of crooked, but it worked for her. I sensed she had something of a crooked personality. “I like you.” She held out her hand. “I’m Heather, like feather.”