hapter 18
As Noelle wiped down the last table, her arms felt like lead. Her
feet throbbed with every step, and exhaustion weighed heavy
on her shoulders. She had underestimated just how demanding
this job would be. In her flower shop, she could take her time, let
customers wait while she carefully arranged each bouquet.
Here, there was no such thing as waiting–every order had to be
taken, served, and cleared at lightning speed.
She sighed, tossing the cloth onto the counter just as Evelyn
walked over, carrying a glass of water.
“You look like you just ran a marathon,” Evelyn said with a
knowing smile, placing the glass in front of Noelle who was
wiping down the last table. “Go on, drink up. You earned it.”
Noelle didn’t need to be told twice. She took the glass with both
hands and drank deeply, relishing the coolness as it soothed her
parched throat.
Evelyn leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “Not what you
expected, huh?”
Noelle let out a tired laugh. “Not at all. I knew restaurant work
would be busy, but I didn’t think I’d be chasing after customers
Chapter 18
all day.” She stretched her arms, wincing at the soreness in her
muscles. “I swear, I ran around more today than I have in years.“”
Peter, who had just finished locking up the register, let out a
chuckle. “Welcome to the food business, kid. It’s chaos, but you’ll
get used to it.”
Noelle shook her head. “I don’t know. I was hoping to find
something quieter.””
Evelyn arched a brow. “Quieter doesn’t always mean better.
Besides, you held up well for a first day. Most people would’ve
quit halfway through the lunch rush.”
“I thought about it,” Noelle admitted with a small smirk.
Peter laughed. “At least you’re honest.” He leaned on the
counter, studying her with curiosity. “So, what’s your story?
You don’t seem like the type who grew up dreaming of being a
waitress.”
Noelle stiffened slightly, caught off guard by the question. She
took another sip of water, gathering her thoughts. “I used to
own a flower shop,” she said eventually, keeping her voice light.
“It was small, but it was my own. I loved it.”
Evelyn’s expression softened. “What happened?”
Chapter 18
Noelle hesitated, then forced a smile. “Life happened.”
The older woman studied her for a moment, as if debating
whether to press further, but then she simply nodded. “Well,
you’ve got steady hands and a good attitude. That’s all that
matters here.”
Noelle exhaled quietly, grateful that Evelyn didn’t push for
details.
Peter clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Like I said, you survived
today. That’s a win in my
book.”
Noelle chuckled. “Barely“”
Evelyn smirked. “You’ll be fine. Just don’t drop anything
expensive, and we’ll get along just fine.”
“I’ll do my best,” Noelle said with mock seriousness.
Evelyn laughed before gesturing toward the door. “Go get some
rest. You’ll need it.”
Noelle nodded, setting the empty glass down and took off her
apron. “Thanks for giving me a chance.”
Peter waved her off. “Like Evelyn said, we needed the help. Fair
trade.”
Chapter 18
As Noelle stepped outside, the cool night air greeted her. She
inhaled deeply, feeling the exhaustion settle in her bones.
Noelle wrapped her arms around herself as she walked, the
night air crisp against her skin. The restaurant had been alive.
with movement and chatter, yet out here, the streets were
eerily quiet. It was strange how the contrast made everything
seem more still–more lonely.
She glanced up at the sky, where countless stars twinkled like
tiny beacons in the darkness. It had been a while since she’d
taken a moment to appreciate something so simple.
Then, a sound broke the silence. A faint creaking, rhythmic and
slow.
She paused mid–step, tilting her head. It was the unmistakable
groan of a swing moving back and forth.
“There’s a playground around here?” she murmured, scanning
the area.
Curiosity nudged her forward, and she followed the sound down a dimly lit street, past quiet houses and shuttered shops. A
few blocks later, she found herself standing at the edge of a
small playground. It was modest–just a set of swings, a slide,
and a seesaw, illuminated faintly by the streetlamp nearby.
Chapter 18
But what caught her attention wasn’t the playground itself.
It was the small figure sitting alone on one of the swings.
A boy–young, no older than seven or eight–rocked gently back
and forth, his legs barely grazing the ground. His clothes looked
slightly oversized, his posture hunched as if trying to make
himself smaller.
Noelle frowned. A child, out alone at this hour?
Concern flared within her, and before she could second–guess
herself, she slipped off her cardigan and approached.
The soft rustling of her footsteps must have alerted him,
because the boy stiffened, his head snapping up.
Noelle stopped a few steps away, raising her hands slightly to
show she meant no harm. “Hey there,” she said gently. “I–I’m not a bad person, I promise. I just saw you sitting here alone, and it’s
really cold out.” She held out her cardigan. “Here, take this.”
The boy made no move to accept it.
Even in the dim lighting, Noelle noticed his striking silver–grey
eyes watching her with quiet wariness. He didn’t speak, didn’t
react beyond the slight tightening of his fingers around the
swing’s chain.
Chapter 18
Noelle hesitated before crouching down to his level, offering a
small, reassuring smile. “Oh boy… it’s freezing out here. Brrr…”
She gave an exaggerated shiver, rubbing her arms.
Still, no response.
Noelle exhaled, shifting to sit cross–legged in the sand a few feet
away. She didn’t want to scare him off by pushing too much.
Instead, she glanced up at the sky. “You know,” she mused, “on
nights like this, my mom used to say the stars were tiny holes in
the sky, letting the light from another world shine through. I
always liked that idea.”
Silence.
Then, after a long pause, the boy finally spoke–his voice barely
above a whisper.
“That’s silly”
Noelle smiled, relieved that he at least responded. “Maybe,” she
admitted. “But I think it makes the night feel a little less lonely.”
The boy’s gaze flickered toward her for a brief moment before
dropping back to the ground. His fingers toyed with the edge of
his sleeve, but he still didn’t take the cardigan.
Noelle decided not to push. Instead, she simply sat there, letting
Chapter 18
the quiet stretch between them, hoping he’d understand that-
at least for tonight–he wasn’t alone.
But luckily, as the minutes passed, he finally spoke. “My
mommy is always busy with work, and my dad does not come
home or pick me up after school. I don’t want to go home and
try and see if they’ll even notice me missing.” The boy pouted.
Noelle flinched at the boy’s words. “You ran away?” she asked.
The boy kicked at the sand beneath his feet while his small
hands gripped the swing’s chains tightly. “I didn’t run away,” he
muttered, though the slight quiver in his voice told Noelle
otherwise. “I just… didn’t feel like going home.”
Noelle studied him for a moment and her heart ached at the
quiet sadness in his tone. “You don’t think they’d notice you
were gone?” she asked gently.
The boy shrugged. “Maybe my mom would. But she’s always.
busy, and my dad…” He trailed off, scowling. “He doesn’t care.”
Noelle swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn’t know the
boy’s story, but she knew what it felt like to feel unwanted and
to wonder if someone would even care if you disappeared.
“That’s a pretty lonely way to think,” she said softly.
Chapter 18
The boy shot her a skeptical glance. “You don’t know anything
about it.””
Noelle chuckled lightly. “You’re right, I don’t. But I do know that
there are people who would be really worried if you didn’t come
home.”
The boy huffed. “Like who?”
“Your mom, for one.“”
“She’s always working.”
“Because she has to take care of you, doesn’t she?” Noelle
pointed out, tilting her head. “Maybe she doesn’t show it the
way you want her to, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love
you.”
The boy didn’t answer, but his pout turned into a frown.
Noelle sighed, rubbing her arms against the cold. “You know,
when I was little, I got mad at my mom once because she forgot
to pick me up from school. I thought she didn’t care about me,
but it turned out she was working overtime just so she could
buy me a new dress for my birthday.” She smiled at the
memory, though it was tinged with bittersweet nostalgia. “I
spent hours sulking before I realized she was doing her best.”
Chapter 18
The boy glanced at her as his silver eyes glinted under the
streetlight. “Did you say sorry?”
“I did,” Noelle nodded. “And she hugged me so tight I thought my
ribs would break.”
The boy stared at the ground, silent for a long moment before.
finally mumbling, “Maybe my mom would worry… but my dad
won’t.”
Noelle’s heart squeezed at the sadness in his voice. She didn’t
want to lie to him and tell him otherwise–sometimes, parents
didn’t act the way they should. But that didn’t mean he was
alone.
“Well, I think that just means you need to go home and see for
yourself,” she said. “Give your mom the chance to notice. Maybe
she’s looking for you right now.”
The boy hesitated, then let out a small sigh. “Maybe.”
Noelle smiled and held out her cardigan again. “It’s still cold. You
should wear this on the way back.”
This time, after a moment’s pause, the boy reached out and took
- it.
Noelle watched as he slid his arms into the sleeves, the fabric
Chapter 18
swallowing his small frame. He looked up at her, his expression
still guarded but just a little softer than before.
“Are you gonna walk me home?” he asked hesitantly.
Noelle stood and dusted herself off. “Only if you promise not to
run away again.”
The boy frowned, then reluctantly nodded. “Fine.”
Noelle grinned. “Alright then, lead the way.”
