Nick walked into Rudy’s and immediately found Cara behind the bar, drying some clean glasses. The bar wasn’t packed; in fact, it was pretty empty for a Sunday afternoon. He leaned over the bar, not taking a seat in one of the vacant stools. Cara lifted her head and peered at Nick.
“What’re you doing here?” She asked, putting the dry glass in its rightful spot. She assumed he would have been at the Lanza’s, for Sunday dinner. She had half a dozen voice mails on her phone with invitations from each of the Lanza’s. She didn’t answer their calls and felt a little guilty about it, but the truth was, she couldn’t bring herself to be around them without Jake. She felt as if she didn’t belong at their table anymore. She couldn’t sit at a happy family dinner with them and pretend she was okay, or as if each of them didn’t remind her of what she lost and could never have back.
“I’m dragging you out of here.” Nick said and winked at her.
Cara studied Nick for a moment before she rolled her eyes. “What did Luke send you here?” She didn’t understand why that guy wouldn’t just take the hint. She didn’t need him, nor did she want him hanging around all the time. Talk about constant reminders, Luke hanging around her like his brother’s guard dog was all, the reminder she needed.
“He didn’t send me anywhere. He mentioned and so did Deb, that, they had been trying to get in touch with you to come to dinner.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I thought I’d deliver the invitation personally.”
“I’m not going.” She said and went back to drying the glasses.
“Mind sharing with me what they did to you?” Nick asked as he leaned his hip against the bar. She glanced up at him and furrowed her brows.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Nick blew out a breath and stared at Cara for a moment before he continued. “It means we’re both cut from the same cloth. It means those people have been nothing but family to us when our own families weren’t worth shit. I know for myself there is absolutely nothing I wouldn’t do for them, and when they ask me to come to dinner to try and make things normal again after they lost their son, I do it. No questions asked. So I’m just wondering what they did to you, that you can just forget that?”
Cara waited a bit, trying not to break down into a puddle of tears, because Nick was right. The Lanza’s had always been there for her. She had heard the desperation in Deb’s voice, in each and every voice message, and it broke her heart.
“Let me ask you Nick, if Sam died and they asked you to sit next to her empty seat at dinner, would you want to go? Knowing she wouldn’t nudge you under the table when Joe said something funny, or that she wouldn’t pick off your plate when you weren’t looking? Would you be able to sit next to her empty chair?” She wiped at her tears that fell despite her will not to shed them. She sniffled and looked up at Nick, his face full of empathy as her words hit home. “Jake was the person who brought me into that home, he was the one who I belonged to and he’s not there anymore.” She shook her head.
“He may be the person who brought you around, but Cara he would want you to feel as much a part of his family as you did when he was here. He wouldn’t want you by yourself.” He sighed. “I’m not going to pretend that what you said doesn’t make my gut clench, but I do know Jake would want you there.” He waited a moment. “Why don’t we go together and if it’s too much for you I will take you home myself?” He shrugged and cocked his head to the side watching as she contemplated the idea. “At least you will have tried.”
Cara sighed and placed her hands on her hips. “Anyone ever tell you, you’re hard guy to say no to?”
“No, but could you do me a favor? Maybe mention that to Sam?” He cocked one eyebrow at her and she smiled faintly.
“You promise you’ll take me home if I start to lose it?” She said as she went to untie her apron, her hands pausing as if to wait for his word.
“I promise.” He said sincerely and pushed himself off of the bar and took a step backward, shoving his hands into his pockets as he waited for her to get her belongings. She nodded and untied her apron, folding it and placing it underneath the bar. She made a quick beeline towards the back office and told Rudy she needed to leave. It took a few moments for her to return and find Nick exactly where she had left him.
She took a deep breath, walked up beside him, without another word spoken between them; they left the bar to go to their family dinner.
Luke sat down beside Sam, who was sprawled out upon a lounge chair. They were both watching Ava as she played in their parents' in ground pool. Sam turned around and looked at her brother.