South Dakota? I thought. How far away are we going? I didn't dare ask the question aloud, for I knew that Drew was already stressed enough. I stared up at the stars through the window and thought about how many there were. They were numbered, after all.
"Don't get your head in the clouds Nat," Drew warned. "I did that once and lost my footing. I've been down a lot of roads, but that one was by far the darkest." I sighed in response and closed my eyes once more, wishing that there was something to lighten the mood.
"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed. It took a minute for him to respond, but he eventually did
"Yeah...I'm fine Nat, don't worry," he whispered. "Just go to sleep okay?" I nodded my head in response and focused on the steady hum of the engine, wondering how we were going to survive on our own.
•••
I woke up to small streaks of sunlight poking over the horizon, and Drew was asleep in the driver's seat beside me. It looked like we were parked behind a truck stop of some kind, and it seemed to be deserted. I decided to get out and investigate.
I dug through all the bags as quietly as I could to find clothes, and eventually my mission was complete. I snuck out of the car and entered the bathroom on the side of the building to change clothes. When I looked in the mirror, I saw that I had a few bruises on my face and neck, but I knew that it was nothing concealer couldn't fix.
When I emerged once again, the sun was higher and a few cars were parked in front of the building. I walked up towards the main entrance and saw that we were at a diner. Beau's Diner to be exact. When I stepped inside, the sweet aroma of pancakes, biscuits, and every other food imaginable hit me in the face. My stomach growled so loud that the woman at the counter gave me a strange look.
"Just take a seat anywhere doll!" She called out. I decided to sit at the chair in front of her, and I grabbed a menu from the holder.
"Hi! My name's Mimi and I'll be your server today, what would you like to eat hon'?" She asked. What's up with the nicknames?
"I'll have the Big & Bigger Breakfast Platter with water to drink please," I answered. She nodded her head and scribbled my order on her notepad. My stomach lurched once again, and I flinched from hunger pains. The waitress raised her eyebrows.
"Hungry are ya." It was a statement instead of a question.
I nodded my head,"Little bit." I added a chuckle to downplay my issue, but it didn't seem to help much with anything.
Within minutes my plate was set in front of me, and I made it a point to divide everything into two. One biscuit for me, two sausage links, two spoons of eggs, and one hash brown. I gobbled up my portion in the course of ten minutes, and I sighed from satisfaction at the thought of food finally being in my stomach. However, I was still hungry. I saved the rest for Drew anyway.
When I finally flagged down Mimi to get a box, she looked at my plate with suspicion but walked on anyway. It took a while for her to come back, but eventually she did.
"Here ya go darlin'," she said, setting the box on the counter. I opened it to find that there was a whole meal identical to mine inside, and I looked up to see that she had walked away. There was a note beside my plate with chicken scratch that read:
Finish the rest of yours. There's one for whoever you were saving for. Don't worry about payment, it's all on me. ;)
I looked up and smiled at the waitress who was now a few tables away, and she smiled back. I took my time finishing the rest of my plate, and I waved goodbye as I walked out of the door. Some people are so nice that I can't help but wonder if they're angels, I thought. I walked around the corner to get back in the car, but there was nothing there.
