Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
I went to take a look at the photos and discovered they were all of my dad and me through the years. That was touching, but it made me a little sad, too. He’d never had much of a chance to hang out with friends, or to find someone special because he’d been too busy—first because he was raising me, and later on because he was running the diner. He’d worked long hours when he’d been the manager, and now that he owned the place I wasn’t sure he ever actually went home.
Devon had followed me around the desk, and he picked up two of the photos and exclaimed, “Aw, you were adorable! I mean, you still are, but you were the cutest kid I’ve ever seen with your giant doe eyes and awkward haircuts.”
“Dad thought he could save money by cutting our hair himself. He used to buzz his off with a clipper, but he only tried that once with me. I looked so pathetic that everyone kept asking him if I was sick. After that, he switched to lopsided scissor cuts.”
My phone beeped as Devon returned the pictures to the desk. I read the message and said, “It’s Myra, letting us know my dad just pulled into the parking lot.”
“I’m not saying older people can’t text, but I’m surprised she does. She just seems so… retro.”
“I know what you mean, but she loves it. One of her grandkids bought her a cellphone and taught her how to text, and she’s totally into it. Every now and then, she’ll send me a totally random meme or cartoon. Then I get to play the ‘what about this made her think of me’ game.”
While we were talking, I led the way out of the office and paused at the edge of the kitchen. A few moments later, my dad stepped through the employee entrance carrying two big boxes. “Hey, Javi,” he called, “we need to think of something to do with about twenty pounds of carrots. One of the vendors gave them to me free of charge. She said she had a surplus.”
“She gave them to you because all the ladies at the produce market have a crush on you, and she’s trying to get your attention,” Javier said. “But forget about the carrots for now, because you have a visitor.”
My dad had been digging through a box of produce, and when he turned around, I held my breath. The moment he spotted me, he shouted with joy. Then he ran across the kitchen and grabbed me in a hug as he blurted, “Oh my god, Kit! This is the best surprise ever!”
And just like that, I knew there’d been absolutely no reason to worry. My dad and I were rock-solid, just like we’d always been.
8
Devon
I learned a lot about Kit during our three days in San Diego. It felt like stepping into his past and getting to see the influences that had shaped him.
He and his dad seemed more like brothers and best friends than father and son, which made sense since they’d pretty much grown up together. I couldn’t imagine becoming a father at seventeen, but Armando Cortez had done everything he could to be a good dad and provide for his child. It hadn’t always been easy, and it had meant working long hours to make ends meet, which left very little time for anything else.
Even now, he still worked all the time. Armando tried his best to cut back his hours so he could spend time with us, but he had a hell of a lot on his plate. He was doing the job of three or four people, since he couldn’t afford to hire all the staff he needed.
Because we wanted to spend as much time with him as possible, we ended up spending part of each day at the diner, giving me a taste of what it must have been like for Kit as a boy. His dad turned us down when we offered to pitch in, so we hung out in a booth at one end of the dining room, drinking coffee, eating the delicious things Armando and Myra kept bringing us, and visiting with him whenever he had five minutes to spare.
I ended up totally enchanted by the diner. The food was great, the atmosphere was friendly and inviting, and the staff and regulars treated both of us like family. They were all crazy about Kit, and it made me happy to see he’d grown up with a lot of love—especially from his dad, who clearly adored him.
Our nights were also spent in a time warp, since we were staying in Kit’s old bedroom. I’d offered to get us a hotel room, but Armando insisted that we stay with him. He went to bed early though, because he had to get to the diner by five every morning to prepare for the breakfast rush. That meant we had to try our best to be quiet.