There were still a few more weeks before he and Crystal Dawn left Atlanta for the Sunshine State, but I’d shut down operations for eight days in order to schedule some much-needed renovations. Like, say, removing my framed third-grade art project from the wall at booth twelve and the family photo beside table nine that still had my estranged mother holding up bunny ears behind me at my sixth birthday party.
Over the years, the booths had been reupholstered, and one by one, the tables had been replaced as the need arose, but they were still the same laminated wood, the benches still cloaked in red vinyl with white trim as they had been the day my dad had opened the doors.
The Wave was something of a Grey family time capsule, and while I loved the nostalgia that hit me every time I walked through its doors, it was long overdue for upgrades and well-earned attention. Nothing crazy. I wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. The Wave was a burger joint through and through. A successful one at that. But making things a smidge more modern might bring in new patrons. The majority of which hopefully paid for their own food, though I was prepared to carry on my father’s loving legacy of feeding the ones who couldn’t. Yes. Even Heather who had spread rumors about me having an STD in high school.
Forgive, forget, and French fries. That was my new motto.
Hooking my arm through Dad’s, I leaned into his warm side, thinking about how I would miss him. But I was also excited for him and his new adventure. “Don’t worry. I’ll take great care of the place.”
He tipped his head, resting it on top of mine. “I know you will. And if it becomes too much for you, we can always sell it.”
“For the last time, we aren’t selling. Mark says Shay has tons of experience in restaurant management and can handle The Wave blindfolded. You liked her, right?”
“I didn’t like her idea about charging for things like bacon and sautéed mushrooms. All the extras for free has been my rule since day one, but she’s mean enough to keep the vendors in line, so I’m not sure it matters if I like her or not. You’ll need her.”
I laughed. “It will be fine, Dad. I swear.”
He bounced his hip off mine, signaling a change of topic away from the finality of his retirement. “How’s your head, kiddo?”
“Still crazy like you.”
He frowned. “You know what I mean.”
“I do. And I told you to stop asking months ago. My answer’s still the same.”
“I just…worry about you.”
I smiled. “Tell me something I don’t know. But I promise, if any light bulbs go off, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Kind of like I was the first one to know about this new boyfriend of yours?”
Damn Aaron and his big mouth. My old man and Aaron were tight. I should have known that word would get around before I had a chance to spread the news myself. Aaron had decent parents, good people, but he’d adopted my father as his own back while we were still in high school. My roommates were losing a huge influence in their lives too. His move to Miami was going to suck for all of us.
“I was going to tell you about him except I remembered that in college, after I introduced you to Stephen Harris, you named a burger after him.”
“What? He was a good guy who was planning to go to law school. He seemed like a keeper to me.”
“He was a boring guy who collected commemorative postage stamps. Bowen is actually dream-guy material. So I was waiting until I was sure I had him on lock. I couldn’t risk you falling in love with him and making me order the Michaels special with cheese anytime I came in for lunch if things didn’t work out.”
My dad chuckled and pulled me in for a tight hug. “Fair enough. You still coming over this weekend?”
No. I wasn’t. Not that my father’s suggestion of watching baseball and having a beer with me and Crystal Dawn as his big sendoff celebration wasn’t the saddest thing I’d ever heard. It totally was. But because, at exactly six thirty p.m. on Saturday, Mark was going to fake a fryer emergency only my father and all of his restaurant expertise could fix. When he arrived at The Rusty Nail, his closest friends and The Wave regulars would jump out and yell surprise instead.
“Yep,” I lied.
“Perfect.” He kissed me on the top of the head and then locked up the restaurant that had been his childhood dream one last time before ushering me to my car. He waited until I was safely inside before climbing into his own vehicle, a bittersweet sadness painted all over his face.
