The Remnants Of Forgotten Love

chapter 15

"The sun rises after the most darkest moments"

Isla paced the length of the restaurant, her heels clicking a staccato rhythm against the tile floor.

Liam watched Isla's step, her face full of anxiety,
"Isla. calm down" He said, in an attempt to calm her down.

"Yes dear, I'm sure everything will just be fine" Amelia reached out, placing a hand on Isla's arm.

"What if all our efforts go to waste, what if no one comes?" Isla asked, looking at Liam, her mind filled with what if's.

Liam's voice took on a firm note, as he walked closer to isla, decreasing the distance between them,
"Then we will make them come."

"And since when did you become so timid?" He asked, tilting his head a Little.

"Aren't you the girl who would do anything to achieve her goals?" He said, looking at Isla in the eye, the spark of old fire coming back in Isla's eyes.

"Right" Isla nodded, with a determined look on her face, and her eyes again full of a fiery determination.

"Now's the time, let's get started" Isla ordered, in a firm voice, making all her staff smile and feel proud seeing her, Isla made them feel safe being their boss, they somehow trusted Isla that she will make their life better.

The restaurant opened, and slowly customers also started coming in, the staff got busy as well as Isla.

....

"Cheers!" They clanked their glasses, sitting alone in the restaurant after closing it, Isla, Liam and Maya were celebrating their successful opening.

As the echo of their clinking glasses faded, Isla set her glass down and looked at Liam and Maya with a content smile. "We did it!," she said, her eyes gleaming with the reflection of the dim lights. "This is just the beginning, but what a start it has been!"

Liam nodded, a smile appearing on his face seeing Isla happy.
"It's more than just a start, Isla. It's a statement. We're not just another restaurant; we're a place where memories are made led by you and liam."
Maya, ever the dreamer, chimed in with her sincere voice.

"Imagine this place a year from now. The buzz of conversation, the laughter, the clatter of dishes. We'll be a part of so many stories"

"And I hope, at that time our restaurant is world with famous, with various chains" Isla dreamed, her eyes shining as she told them her wish, her goal.

"I'm sure you can do it" Liam encouraged Isla. His eyes gleaming with pride and happiness seeing Isla happy and satisfied.

"If mom was awake she would have felt ecstatic." Isla said, her eyes teary, suddenly the atmosphere became glum too.

"It would've been more good if father was here..." Maya murmured in a low voice, with tears in her eyes as well.

"Well I'm sure they know everything, and are happy for us" Liam said while nodding, trying to make the two feel better.

The three of them sat in comfortable silence for a moment, letting the weight of the day sink in. Then Isla stood up, her energy seemingly renewed. "Alright, team. Let's clean up and get ready for tomorrow. We've set the bar high on day one; now we have to move it even higher."

With a collective nod, they rose, their movements synchronized in the dance of closing time. As they worked, the air was filled with the soft sounds of their shared anticipation for the days to come.

....

The room felt heavy.
the sounds of machines and the medicals charts hung heavy on the walls.
in the center of the room, stood a bed. or a cage. it's rails as cold as ice. The room emitting out an antiseptic smell.

on the side of the bed stood an iv drip stand, a clear liquid flowing through it inside the nerve of the person it connected to. Isla's mother. she layed motion less on the bed, deep in sleep. unaware of anything even that her daughter is by her side.

"Hello mom"
"How have you been?, I'm sorry I'm late and also can't stay for long" Isla whispered near her mom, as she tucked her mom's hair strainds behind her mom's ear, while her mom layed motion less on the bed.

"You know, today was the opening of our restaurant, i have changed the name of the restaurant too... I wanted to start a new... but just changing the name won't end our legacy, so trust me on this ok?, oh right! And the new name of our restaurant is, "forgotten memories" I think this name will mean different things to different people, some will be reminded of a certain time, some will be reminded of a certain someone and some a certain thing, I like this name, do tell me what you think of it when you wake up" Isla said, holding gently on her mother's hand and sitting beside her.

"And our opening today was really successful, I feel like from now on everything will be better, and you know i met some really good people too, and the best of them is Liam and... Maya too! Oh and aunty Amelia is good too" Isla said telling her mom about the day, about everything, her voice seemingly cheerful.

"Time's up, you should leave now" a voice from behind came, hitting Isla's ears, turning around Isla came face to face with a figure wearing a white coat and a white nurse's cap. A nurse.

"Ah yes, I will be leaving in a second, thankyou for taking care of my mom" Isla said standing up from her place.

"It's my job, don't worry about her, I'll take care of her" the nurse said as she walked towards Isla and gently tapped Isla's shoulder. Isla nodded. "Thankyou"

"Mom, I'll be leaving now, wake up soon, I'm waiting for you" isla bid her byes, as her soft byes echoed in the room full of machines beeping, leaving her mom's room with the flame of her hope burning a little more brightly.

While isla was making her way back home, her eyes caught a glimpse of an advertisement.

"Attention all culinary artists, restaurateurs, and passionate cooks! Seize this chance to showcase your skills. Join us, dazzle the audience, and you could walk away with fabulous prizes, widespread acclaim, and a grand reward. Don't miss out on this extraordinary opportunity!"