cozy cup

XIX

(chapter 19)

Vinny was tired, and he knew that it was obvious to everyone around him. He knew the customers could tell, sending him brief looks of sympathy as he took their orders, and he knew that Dee could tell. She looked concerned, eyes trailing after him with his every move, but she didn't say anything. Not like she really had much time to. They had been slammed since opening, and business only picked up when Dee came in a few hours later and clocked in.

But the time between customers was getting longer and longer, and Vinny braced himself for when Dee's mothering tendencies would hit full-force. He was wiping the tables down when he felt her gaze on him once again. Sighing, he finished up the table he was on and walked back behind the counter.

"Just get on with it, Dee," he murmured, letting himself fall back against the counter. He stumbled as he did it, lower back landing hard enough to make him visibly wince. Too tired and too stubborn to fix his position, he went with it, despite his discomfort.

"You're sad," she said, stopping in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"It's...complicated," he murmured. "I'm feeling a lot of things right now, and I don't think I can fully explain or feel them right now."

Dee was silent for a while, shifting her stance from one side to the other before letting her arms drop to her sides. "Would a hug be good or bad right now?" she asked.

Vinny couldn't stop the smile from coming to his face even if he wanted to. Even if her mothering could be borderline smothering at times, she always meant well and knew his boundaries, knew the things that would make him feel worse, and always asked before acting on certain impulses. He was grateful that she remembered that he needed space when his emotions were too out of control, that physical contact when too overwhelmed could make him feel like he was crawling out of his skin sometimes. However, in this case, while tired and wired all at once, still drowning in the flood of emotions, a hug was exactly what he wanted.

"A hug would be wonderful," he said, arms opening up to envelop her as she dove forward. The ends of her hair tickled his forehead, and he giggled at the sensation, letting her smell wash over him. The light floral scent was calming, reminding him of springtime picnics and laughter.

"Do you have any plans after work?" she asked as she pulled away. Her dark eyes skimmed his face as she took a step back.

"Not that I'm aware of,"

"Come on over for dinner. Mom and Malia would love to see you."

Vinny was nodding before he gave it any thought. "Yeah," he said, smiling. "That sounds great."

The bell over the door sounded, startling Vinny. He giggled, hand on his chest as he willed his heart to settle back down. Dee laughed as she moved back over to stand in front of the drinks station, ready to make the new customer's order.

Hours passed by in a flash, and Vinny found himself standing in front of a cute little two-story with little flower beds on either side of a small set of steps, leading up to the front porch he had come to love sitting out on. Sure, he had met Dee at work, but that front porch was where their friendship blossomed.

The sound of Dee's car door slamming shut jerked him from his musing, and he fell into step behind her as she walked up the short path to the house. The low clattering of dishes and the sounds music from the television could be heard through the open windows of the house, and when the door pushed open, the smell of home cooked food swept over him.

His stomach growled, loudly, and Dee laughed as she stepped out of her shoes. "Momma, I'm home," she called through the house.

"Welcome back, baby," a husky, warm voice called back. "Join me in here after you've greeted Malia."