“So,” Nick said, interrupting her thoughts. “Tell me a little more about yourself.”
“Sure,” Brooke said with a smile. She reached into her large bag and pulled out a copy of her résumé, having read on a job-seeker website that it was always a good idea to bring an extra so that the manager didn’t have to search through a pile to find the copy you’d already submitted. She handed it to Nick, who glanced at it, then set it on the table within eyeshot. “Well,” Brooke began, “I’ve been waiting tables for almost twenty years. I started as a dishwasher and hostess, but worked my way up.” She went on to describe the various places she’d worked, and how much she wanted to move into a permanent position with a stable, well-respected, fine-dining restaurant. “Sea to Shore has the best reputation in Seattle as the go-to place for atmosphere and amazing, farm-fresh menus,” she said, paraphrasing what she’d read online. “Your butterfish with a ginger glaze is considered one of the premier seafood dishes on the entire West Coast.”
“You’ve done your homework,” Nick said, and Brooke nodded, sensing he was impressed. He spent the next ten minutes asking her questions about wine pairings and different types of cocktails, and Brooke was certain she nailed each of them. He handed her the menu, which she’d already memorized off the restaurant’s website, and she recited perfect descriptions of each and every item without having to look down.
When she’d finished, Nick grinned. “Okay,” he said. “You’re hired.”
“Really?” Brooke asked, feeling her chest fill with a fluttering sensation.
“Are you kidding?” Nick said. “I don’t think even my most seasoned employee can do what you just did. You’re clearly experienced, and I like your enthusiasm.” He held out his hand across the table, and Brooke gave it a good, strong shake. “When can you start?”
“Tonight?” Brooke said, with a happy laugh. “Actually, I need to give notice at my current job. I’d like to offer them two weeks, but I’m guessing that once they know I’m leaving, they’ll take me off the schedule.”
“I understand,” Nick said. “Why don’t you just give me a call when you have a firm date?”
“Perfect,” Brooke said, and was pleased when Nick informed her that the restaurant paid its employees two dollars more than minimum wage per hour, plus tips. A few minutes later, she was in her car, thinking about how much she was looking forward to serving a more upscale clientele—customers who ordered cocktails and champagne to start their meals and a bottle of wine with each course. She felt a little bad that she hadn’t told Nick she was pregnant, but her desire to make more money and provide better health insurance coverage for herself and her baby overrode any guilt she might feel. If all went well, she could work right up until the day she delivered, and by that time—according to the job posting—she would be entitled to six weeks of maternity leave. It would be unpaid, but if she budgeted correctly until that point, she and her child would be just fine. When she went back to work, she’d have to find a trustworthy daycare, but she tried not to worry about that right now. With the money she’d be making, she’d be able to afford to pay someone well. She’d never be like her own mother and leave her baby alone.
Brooke was so excited about her new job, she shot a quick text to her sister, asking whether it was okay to stop by. It only took a few minutes for Natalie to respond. “Yes!” her text said. “Come over!” Having someone in her life with whom she could share her good news might have been a small thing, but to Brooke, it felt like everything.
Twenty minutes later, she parked in front of Natalie’s house. Brooke knocked, and a second later, Hailey answered the door. “Hi, Aunt Brooke!” she said with a big smile. The little girl gave her a hug, and Brooke felt herself begin to tear up. She thought of herself around Hailey’s age, having to return to Hillcrest from Jessica and Scott’s house. She remembered the sting of Scott’s hand. She remembered crying on Gina’s shoulder, wishing with all her might that her own mother would come back.
“Hey,” Natalie said as she came up behind Hailey in the entryway. “Come on in.”
“Henry and I are playing restaurant!” Hailey announced. “You can play, too, Aunt Brooke, if you want.”
“Oh,” Brooke said, unsure how to rebuff a child’s invitation.
“Brooke and Mommy need a little grown-up time,” Natalie said, saving her. “You go on and play with your brother.”