Ghosts showed up around every corner. They weren’t really dead people, at least not yet. It was just that everything in the mall brought up thoughts of Candy and Dad and those troublesome half-sisters. Shauna Rae couldn’t find a trace of that feeling that she had come to reclaim, the pleasure of lazy weekends browsing the storefronts, dreaming and scheming amidst the rafts of goods her family could never afford but so admired.
She staggered out of the food court and plunged into the big department store that anchored one corner of the mall. She scurried past the make-up counters where she and her sisters used to try on other looks and scents and boss the sales personnel around, playing at a life they’d probably never own. At the end of the aisle, she glimpsed the outside, blazing in a patch of glare. She sped up through the lingerie department, ignoring the calls of “Miss? Miss? Can we help you? Is something wrong?”
Her ears burned as she halted just outside the door, taking in the fresh air and warmth of the day. Someone inside was still calling after her. Her belly rumbled a moment before she recognized the smell of something sweet being baked. She followed that scent across the parking lot to a steel and glass box wedged against the sidewalk. Her mouth watered as she closed in on the door.
The last table in the cafe with an open seat was still heaped with crumbs, used napkins, and half-drunk coffee. Shauna Rae crumpled into the booth seat and considered the menu.
“Hey, you look bummed,” a man’s cheerful voice intruded. Strong arms reached in front of her to pull the dishes and trash into a gray bin. “You should try the sweet roll…big as a truck tire. It’ll put a smile right back on your face. It’s the specialty.”
Shauna Rae looked up into the man’s beaming face. “They just tell you to say that stuff,” she said.
“Not at all.” He winked.
“How can you be so happy? You’re a busboy at a cheap diner.”
“It’s a job, kiddo. An honest living. First time in my life, I’m just an ordinary guy. And I like it. Got a lady in my life. Found a clean flop at a church, where, for once, I feel welcome. I can’t believe my luck.”
“Dad says…Dad…he always said…you make your own luck.”
“That so? Maybe that’s your own answer then for whatever’s eating you.”
A waitress sidled up to the busboy and slapped him on the back. “Bertie, why don’t you get out of this lady’s way so I can help her?”
Bertie nodded. “One moment, girlfriend. I’ve got to make it shine.” He wiped the table with a damp cloth and retreated.
“His first day,” the waitress said. “Tomorrow, I won’t be so kind.”
Bertie whistled as he backed into the kitchen. Shauna Rae caught the sound as it faded into the clank of cooking and washing. It made her smile.
