THE LITTLE THINGS
THE SUN illuminated the Mystic Grill in the morning summer light and amongst the coffee goers of the morning rush and parents rushing to get to work with a quick breakfast, a table close to the kitchen sat Jeffery King and his daughter Gemma, who wore a pink tutu with a yellow tank top with a button that read birthday girl.
Jeffery sat anxiously waiting for his parents to show up, he planned to have a birthday breakfast with them for his little girl, it became a tradition between the king family, that whoever's birthday it was had to have a birthday breakfast at the grill, no matter what day it was, rain or shine, snow or freeze, if it was someone's birthday off to the grill they went.
""Come on man, it's only a five-minute drive." Jeffery murmurs under his breath as Gemma draws a picture on the scrap of paper given to her by the staff. She uses a red crayon to fill in the mystic girl sign as she shows it to her father.
"Thats great baby." He tells her, she grins before sliding the paper over to other side of the table where an empty chair was pulled out slightly, she grins at the chair almost as if someone sat in the chair. He scoffs irritated before pulling out his phone dialing his mother's phone number only to go to voicemail.
"Hey, Mama just calling to make sure you on your way, dont wanna order without you, call me back when you can." He hangs up placing his phone down exhaling, he knew that his parents more than likely were about to head out the door, he had to show his mom how to run her phone.
"Daddy, do they have pancakes?" Gemma asks putting her chin in her hand, he looks at her questions, he grabs a menu looking at the options, he knew they had breakfast menu, but he couldn't seem to find it.
"It's by the side." Gemma tells him, he looks between her and the menu to see that she was right, his brows furrow at how she was able know that knowing she always orders off the kids menu.
"How did you know?" He asks her, she shrugs her shoulders pointing at the chair next to her. He smirks, he guessed that she somehow just knew. Jeffery knew that his daughter had an imaginary friend, she called her Tia, he guessed she was made from the princess and the frog, a movie she repeatedly watched at her mothers.
"I'm sorry we're late, your daddy insisted on stopping by the center before coming here." A voice explains to him, he turns around seeing his mother and his father, both carrying presents for the granddaughter, Natasha hair had turned grey, and she had style into a perm.
"Hi my little angel, Happy birthday.'' Natasha coos kissing her granddaughter's cheek, she giggles at the affection, Andres tries to move the chair next to her before he is stopped by a little arm.
"No Grandpa, don't sit on her." Gemma says, raising her eyebrow. He looks at his son and gives him a look that says, "Go with it."
"I'm sorry Gemma, I didn't know we had another guest." Andre apologizes he pulls out his wifes seat first as he lets her sit down first before sitting to the open chair near Gemma. They dont see the smirk that ran across Thea's face.
She knew that her niece only saw her as an imaginary friend, she called her Tia because she didn't know to say her real name, Thea tried to tell her how to say Theadora only for her to come out jumbled from her mouth. She didn't mind being called Tia.
"Well, are we gonna order or what?" Andre asks opening the menu earning a playful elbow from his wife, she shakes her head at his impatience. Thea chuckles to herself.
Even after the ups and downs of their marriage they still loved each other like they were still young, she could remember when she was young hearing her parents dancing in the kitchen, it was a slow jazz song, one you would hear at old jazz clubs. She would hear her mom's laughter all the way in bedroom, her parents were her definition of soulmates.
"Jeffrey is Sasha coming?" Natasha asks her son, he looks at his phone checking the time, texting his ex-wife.
"She had an early class this morning, but she said she would try to get here." He informs his parents; she nods her head looking through the menu.
"I bet she orders grits." Thea hypothesizes, she chuckles to herself, she looks at Gemma who was still drawing on the paper, she gets the tic tac toe part of the paper, she draws an X before sliding the paper over to her trying to get her to play.
"How about you ask grandpa, he loves tic tac toe." She tells her, she nods her head sliding the paper over to him, Thea grins at her niece, her dad takes the crayon from her little hand.
"Okay folks sorry for the wait, what are we having to drink?" A voice asks, Thea looks up to see a familiar face. Jermey, he hadn't noticed her yet, she hadn't seen him outside of his house before, she knew he was gonna ask why she was there.
"Um I'm gonna have a coffee and uh i know hes gonna take a coke, um Jeffery." Nastasha orders for her husband turning to son, he writes their orders down on his notepad.
"I'll take a water and Gemma baby what do you want." He gestures to his daughter who wasn't paying attention, Thea gently pokes her arm getting the little girl's attention, she looks up at the teen boy.
"Uh. Uh orange juice." Gemma stutters, He grins writing down the order, he quickly looks up at the customers locking eyes with her, she waves quietly, his eye widen slightly looking at her.
"I will be right back with those drinks." He tells them walking away, Thea chuckles at his startled state, she knew he wasn't expecting her to randomly show up at his place of work, she wasn't here for him, she was here for her family.
Thea looks back at her niece to see her blushing, she smiles at her flusterness.
"Do you have a little crush?" Thea teases her, she shakes her head no putting her head in her hands to hide her embarrassment, she knew he was very good looking for only being sixteen, she found her nieces flusterness adorable.
"Hey Gemma, how old are you turning?" Andre asks his granddaughter she holds up seven fingers, she grins.
"I remember when your daddy was seven, we came here for his birthday, he ordered waffles and the staff came out singing happy birthday and here's the best part." Andre recalls to him; Jeffery shakes his head trying to stop him. "Pops she doesn't need to know."
"If you're not gonna tell her then who is." Andre reminds him, Thea laughs at his persistence of telling the stories.
"They put whipped cream on a plate, and they put it in his face, he cried when it got in his hair." Andre recalls to her; she looks at her dad who was trying not to laugh at the story.
"Come on I had a fro, it ruined my hair." He reminds his dad, Thea chuckles as he gestures to his head, she was there that day, he cried about his hair, her mom took him in the bathroom to get the bits of food out from it.
"It's all true." Thea tells Gemma, she looks at him. "I want pancakes." She tells him.
"Well, you're gonna get them, its her birthday let the girl feel special." Natasha tells him, their conversation is interrupted as Jermey returns with their drinks, he puts down their drinks placing gemmas orange juice.
"Um who had the coke?" Jermey asks, Thea points to her father just as he points to himself, he places the drinks down, he looks at her for a moment, he eyes the bathroom gesturing for her to meet him there.
"Okay, someone will be with you all soon to take your orders." He informs them giving a polite smile before walking away, he looks back really quick before talking to Matt Donovan.
"You know what I'm gonna have grits." Natasha says to her son, Thea snaps her fingers.
"Told you, Hey I will be back okay." Thea tells her niece; she knew if she didn't tell her she would follow her into the bathroom. She stands up walking over to the bathroom door, Jermey walks into the room her following right behind him.
He quickly checked over his shoulder he checks the stall before locking the door.
"I know what your gonna say and I'm not here for you, this is a me thing. "Thea informs him crossing her arms leaning against the counter.
"I was just wondering why your here, I kind of thought you were stalking me." He tells her she scoffs at the guess.
"Technically it's not stalking if they can't see you." Thea informs him smirking at her own knowledge, he chuckles at her joke.
"
"Whatever you say." He chuckles, she smiles walking around dragging her fingers along the tile of the bathroom.
"It's my niece's birthday, that why I'm here, she's turning seven." She tells him, he looks to the door remember the little girl in the tutu.
"You're an aunt?"
"Yeah, well to her I'm her imaginary friend, but my brother just thinks she has an overactive imagination.
"Wait she can see you how is that possible." He wonders, she paces.
"Kids are more open to the supernatural that's why you hear more stories of kids and ghosts." She explains to him he nods his head listening to her.
"Guess I owe younger Matt Donovan an apology." Jeremy says, she chuckles quietly.
"Speaking of seeing ghosts I also need to warn you about something." Thea remembers her promise to Anna, she will warn him first if Vicky comes knocking then she will watch over him.
" I heard rumors that Vicky might be trying to come to life...and she might try it through you." She points at him.
"That's impossible right, she would need a witch. "Jermey looks to her to confirm.
"Not exactly, as long as you're willing and wanna bring her back then it will work." Thea informs him, she didn't know if he will actually listen to her.
"As long as you wanna see her and she wants to see you she will still try everything to get back, you mess with nature there are consequences, you're the living proof." Thea gestures to him.
"Look I promised someone you won't and I know you dont owe me anything I dont owe you anything, but to her you should at least do it for.' She mentions, he perks up looking her in eyes.
"Her....wait did anna tell you to warn me." Jermey asks her, she gulps nodding her head yes. "She still cares about you Jermey." He smirks.
"You still care about her dont you, that's cute." Thea teases, he tries to hide a blush that crept onto his face. "I'm not judging it took me a year to get over my ex.'
"Why couldn't she warn me herself?" He asks she bites her lip sitting on the counter her feet dangling over the edge.
"She said that Vicky is blocking her from seeing you." Thea tells him, His brow furrow at the information. "I better get back out there before they think I'm going crazy." Jermey tells her, she gets off the counter, she tries to grab his hand to stop him only for her hand to go straight through his.
Her eyes look down as she realizes she can't touch, she mentally palms at herself. "Sorry I forgot." She apologizes to him.
"No, you don't have to." He assures her, and she looks between him and the door, smirking.
"Can you do me a favor?"
₱₱₱
"Mom, she doesn't need that," Jeffery warns her, she tries to give her granddaughter a sip of her coffee, and she looks at her son questioning his warning.
" I was eating blue cheese when I was pregnant with your sister, I doubt a small amount of coffee isn't gonna hurt her." Natasha defends herself; he shrugs his shoulder letting her continue.
Gemma brings the coffee cup to her lips, and she exclaims in disgust at the taste. She chuckles at her reaction.
"Told you so," Jeffery tells her, she shakes her head at his remark, she wipes the edge of her cup.
"I'm sorry ..I'm so sorry I'm late." A female voice interrupts them, Jeffery turns his head to see his ex-wife, Sasha.
A woman in her early thirties with her hair in braid styled up, she's a teacher, she teaches people us history and the English language so they can become US citizens, her and Jeffery met when they were in college, they were married till Gemma was five, both getting partial custody over her.
"Hey Jellybean, I got you something." She tells her daughter, she reaches behind her pulling out a bag, Gemma excitedly opens it right away.
She pulls out a silver bomber jacket, she turns it around to reveal her name embroded on the back in a pink and white threads, gemmas face lights up with joy at the gift.
"I love it mommy." She exclaims holding it up for her grandparents to see they gently take it from her admiring it.
"Oh Sasha that must of cost so much." Nastasha, she mentions, Sasha sits down next to Jeffery.
"Actually, it didn't, I did it myself, I found this old jacket at the Mystic Closet, it was from the 90s and I bought the threads though." Sasha rants proud of herself, Jeffery looks at her.
He admired her creativity, that's what drew him to her in the first place, he loved the kindness she showed and the work she put into everything, even if she didn't feel the same that she did before, he still looked at her like she was the only one in the room.
"That's very neat of you." Andre compliments, she smiles. Thea watched from her chair.
She liked Sasha; she was always so sweet to her family. She would have liked to have her as her sister-in-law.
"Oh, little brother why did you let this one get away." Thea mumbles to herself, she sat in her spot looking at him, she was so happy for him, she wished she had gotten to be there for him.
"Okay, we have an order of scrambled eggs with a side of grits, an order of porkchops with hash browns, a garden salad, mystic omelet with side of grits and hashbrown." Jermey announces to them placing down their foods from his tray, he looks over his shoulder to matt nodding his head.
"An order of waffles for the birthday girl." Jermey announces, she grins at the birthday girl part, he places a stack of three waffles in front of the little girl, a top of whip cream. Three other staff members come out along with Matt.
"You guys ready." Matt asks the other staffers, the king stares in disbelief at the events that were occurring, they start clapping and singing happy birthday to her, gemmas cheeks grow red as she smiles at the nice Suprise.
Thea sat at her chair, she had tears falling from her brown eyes, she smiles tearfully, she loved moments like this, she only wished she got the chance to experience it in person, not as an imaginary friend to her niece or vailed matter.
"Make a wish Gemma." Natasha says as they light a candle on top of her waffles, she closes her eyes squinting, she blows her candle out feeling a chilly breeze hit her face, everyone around her cheers with her clapping for her, Matt pops a party popper, the confetti getting on the floor.
"Thank you, guys." Jeffery thanks the staff, Jermey grabs a spoon with a dollop of whip cream putting it on the tips of Gemma nose, she giggles at the action. He smiles making eye contact with Thea, her eyes filled tears as she smiles at him. "Thank you."
He nods his head returning the grin, it was the little things in the life that she enjoyed, weither it came with her scaring teen girls or watching her niece grow up or standing in a crowded concert she took what she could with the life she was offered and just the small moment of happiness was enough.