3
Ava sat staringout the window of Sue Ann’s Café watching her sister Grace who was on the phone pacing on the wooden sidewalks that lined Main Street. Her sister spoke with conviction and passion. As a high-powered attorney, Grace was used to arguing her case. Right now, she was on the phone arguing with the airlines over the charges they’d attached for changing their flights. It struck Ava that Grace seemed more upset over a few hundred dollars than Ava felt reading Ian’s letter.
After getting out of the shower her sisters had asked her what she wanted to do, and Ava had known exactly what that was. She wanted to get breakfast at Sue Ann’s Café. Ava had been going to Sue Ann’s Café since she was a little girl when they’d vacationed here. She had two favorite meals, Sue Ann’s meatloaf and her French toast. This morning she’d gone with the breakfast option.
A sense of peace washed over Ava as she looked out the large picture window that they were seated in front of. The café sat on the corner of Main Street which was populated with mom-and-pop shops accented by colorful awnings, black light posts, and had twinkle lights strung across it. It was postcard level quaint.
Tourist season was in full swing and families, couples, and singles populated the downtown area.
As charming as the town proper was, the real showstopper was the majestic Sierra Nevadas which were the backdrop. Pine trees filled the stony range and the lush green vista was peppered with orange and yellow Aspens, giving the landscape a vibrant seasoning.
On the walk over to the café she’d noted that the late morning temperature was a mild seventy degrees, the sun was shining brightly, the bright blue skies were dotted with white fluffy clouds. It truly would’ve been the perfect day for a wedding. Yet, she couldn’t say that she was upset that it hadn’t happened.
“Here you go,” Kelly King, who had become good friends Viv over the years that her sisters had lived in Hope Falls set down a plate of French toast in front of Ava, waffles in front of Viv, an omelet in front of Audrey, and a fresh fruit bowl where Grace had been seated.
“Let me know if you need anything else,” Kelly spoke to Ava like she was a wounded animal.
Ava didn’t want people treating her with kid gloves, but she understood the impulse to do so. She did her best to act normal and smile as she responded, “Okay, thanks.”
Before Kelly walked away Ava noticed weighted looks were exchanged between her sisters and the waitress.
When they’d entered the café, Viv had gone ahead of the group and spoken to Kelly. She hadn’t asked but Ava was sure that Viv had filled the waitress in on the events that had unfolded that morning, because the pretty blonde was being extra friendly to Ava. Not that Kelly was rude normally, but she wasn’t what Ava would describe as friendly.
Ignoring the looks, Ava buttered her French toast, poured a hefty amount of maple syrup over all four pieces.
“Hi, girls.”
Ava looked up and saw Sue Ann, the proprietor of the café standing beside the table. She was wearing a long floral skirt, and a cardigan, just like she had been the first time they’d come to eat here when Ava was eight. Twenty-four years had passed but in Ava’s mind, Sue Ann looked exactly the same. Like the grandmother she’d always wanted. She didn’t remember her paternal grandparents since they wanted nothing to do with her or her sisters after their son took off on his family when Ava was four. And her mom’s parents had died when her mom was young. She was raised by her grandparents, but they were both in care facilities by the time Ava remembered meeting them.
Sue Ann reminded her of a cross between Mrs. Claus and Mrs. Garrett from The Facts of Life, a show she used to watch on Nick at Night.
“Hi, Sue Ann.” Ava smiled.
“Come here!” Sue Ann wrapped her arms around Ava and pulled her from her chair. She held her tightly and Ava melted into the embrace. The only regret or upset she felt about today was that she’d let her mom down. Feeling Sue Ann’s maternal energy was oddly comforting.
Sue Ann pulled back and held onto Ava’s arms looking directly into her eyes. “You let me know if you need anything, you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ava answered.
“Good girl.” Sue Ann gave her one more hug before releasing her and tapping on the table. “Breakfast is on the house.”
After sitting back down, Ava cut a generous portion and stuffed it in her mouth. She closed her eyes as she bit into heaven. She didn’t even feel guilty for the calorie rich treat because she’d walked over from the resort. Growing up her mom was very health conscious. She raised her girls on as little processed and junk food as possible. But when they were going to have a pizza night or a movie night with popcorn, candy, and soda, their mom would turn the music up and have a dance party, or she’d put on one of her Tae Bo tapes. Cora Wells always said that life was all about balance.
Her mom might have approved of her post walk breakfast but Ava wondered what she would feel about the fact that she wasn’t going to marry Ian.
“I can’t believe she can eat.”
Ava heard Viv whisper across the table.
“I don’t think it’s hit her yet,” Audrey responded quietly.
“I got left at the altar, I’m not deaf. I can hear you talking about me like I’m not here,” Ava said before she’d finished chewing and swallowing her bite of breaded delicacy and opening her eyes.
“Sorry,” Audrey apologized as she reached across the table and touched Ava’s arm. “We’re just worried about you.”
“I’m okay, really,” she reassured her sisters for the fiftieth time.
Audrey nodded with a forced smile on her face. Viv’s eyes narrowed, clearly not believing her sister. Both sisters continued to stare at her silently.