Second Hand Waitress

Kira had planned her visit perfectly. Lexington wasn’t home from work yet, and Becky had just started preparing dinner.

“Do you think you could make a career out of it?” Becky asked, sliding the chopped onions, peppers, and garlic into a hot pan. The ingredients sizzled as soon as they touched the oil, filling the kitchen with a mouthwatering aroma.

Kira absentmindedly played with the handle of her coffee mug, watching the hot chocolate swirl inside.

“Maybe,” she said with a small shrug. “I’m not sure. I was hoping…”

Becky glanced at her sharply when her voice faded.

“It’s been three years, Kira,” she said gently.

“I know,” Kira sighed. “But every time I step into the baking class and start working with dough, it feels like the old me is still there. Like if I just keep at it, stay in practice, and keep experimenting, one day I’ll wake up and be as good as I was before. But with this job, there’s barely any time left for baking. I have to choose—focus on my job or my passion. I can’t do both.”

“You could still bake in your free time,” Becky pointed out.

“As a hobby?” Kira asked, the thought leaving a dull ache in her chest.

Becky hesitated before nodding, and Kira looked away, trying to ignore how much that hurt.

“That would mean giving up on the only dream I’ve ever had,” she murmured.

Becky didn’t say anything right away, focusing on peeling potatoes instead. After a long silence, she finally spoke. “Maybe it’s time to find a new dream.”

Kira’s heart clenched. Not knowing what to say, she quickly changed the subject. “What’s for dinner?”

“Just simple food. Beef stew with mashed potatoes. And bread pudding with custard for dessert,” Becky replied.

Kira smiled at that. “That sounds perfect for a rainy evening.” She glanced at the buckets collecting water in the corner of the room. The leaky roof was getting worse, and Lexington had been saving up to fix it once the rains stopped. The house, sitting right by the beach, had a certain rustic charm. It could have looked stylish if it weren’t in such bad shape. The property was worth a lot, but because it had been in their family for generations, selling it wasn’t an option. Kira didn’t hold much sentimental attachment to it, though. She had told Lexington more than once that it was weighing him down—he couldn’t even think about getting married with the house eating up all his money. But her brother took family responsibilities more seriously than she did.

“Are you staying for dinner?” Becky asked, and Kira’s face lit up. This was exactly what she had been hoping for.

“For your amazing beef stew and pudding? How could I say no?”

“It’s nothing special,” Becky laughed. “If I had known Lexington was inviting Tesah Clover over for dinner, I would’ve made something fancier. He doesn’t seem like the type of guy you serve beef stew to. But then again, he’s not a snob. Last time he was here, he put your brother in his place about table manners and even helped clean up afterward. He even helped me prepare dessert. He actually seemed to enjoy it.”

Kira barely heard anything after hearing that Tesah was coming. She was suddenly relieved that she hadn’t already agreed to dinner.

“Well, thanks for inviting me, Becky, but I actually can’t stay. I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather. I think I might be coming down with something.”

Becky frowned. “But you drove all this way. I thought—”

“I was in the area for… uh…” Kira trailed off, realizing there was no good reason for her to be this far from home. “I just wanted to see you. We haven’t spent much time together since I got back from Medina, especially with the new job and everything. But I didn’t realize how bad I was feeling until now. I should probably go home and rest.”

“What symptoms do you have? Maybe I have some medicine that could help,” Becky offered.

She was a nurse, after all, and that’s how she had first met Lexington years ago. Back then, he had been taking care of their sick grandparents, and Becky had been one of the junior nurses at the oncology ward. Nothing romantic had happened at the time—Lexington had been too overwhelmed with their grandparents’ health to even think about dating—but he had always appreciated Becky’s kindness. Their relationship only started after their grandparents had passed away.

Lexington was completely in love with Becky and had proposed a few years into their relationship. But he wanted to give her a grand wedding, and because of money problems, they kept postponing the date. Becky was patient and understanding, but Kira sometimes wanted to shake her cousin and tell him to stop letting the house hold him back.

“It’s mostly stomach issues, plus I just feel really drained,” Kira explained. “Jake was sick last week, so I think I might have caught whatever he had.”

“Alright, then make sure you stay hydrated and have as much broth as you can handle. And try to get a full night’s sleep,” Becky advised, shifting easily into her caregiver role.

Kira smiled warmly. “Thanks, Becky.” She nodded toward the pan sizzling on the stove. “But I think your onions are burning.”

Becky let out a curse and rushed to the stove, while Kira chuckled at the sight.