One of them pointed to the pancakes with a shy voice, “Can I have the one with the chocolate chips?”
Sayer leaned his elbow on the table, smiling easily. “Youshouldget the chocolate chip ones. They’re the best.”
The girl blinked, surprised by the lack of disapproval. Her sister looked at him too, unsure, still holding her breath.
“I used to order those all the time,” he added, tapping the menu lightly. “And I turned out alright.”
Diamond raised an eyebrow. The look alone spoke volumes. “Debatable.”
The older girl giggled, quietly, like it slipped out without permission—and the younger one leaned against her mom, finally relaxing.
Carla met Diamond’s eyes across the table and gave a barely-there nod. Gratitude. Relief. Maybe even hope.
When the waitress returned with coffee and hot chocolate, she took their order without comment. The girls spoke a little louder this time, more certain, their voices no longer trapped behind fear.
Diamond wrapped her hands around the warm coffee cup, letting the heat sink into her bones. The diner buzzed softly with quiet conversation, clinking dishes, and the hiss of a fryer in the back. For a while, they were just another group of travelers getting breakfast on the road.
Almost normal.
But beneath the surface, Diamond stayed alert, eyes tracking everyone who came in, watching the mirror behind the counter, always aware of how fragile this peace really was.
Still, for now, the girls were smiling. That was enough.
They lingered longer than they probably should have, drawn in by the comfort of full bellies and hot coffee. Diamond nursed her third cup, hands wrapped around the mug, letting the steam rise and chase away the tension that still clung to the edges of her shoulders.
Beside her, Sayer had leaned back in the booth, one arm stretched along the top of the seat, eyes on the girls more than the area ahead.
The youngest was drawing on the back of a placemat with a crayon the waitress had given her, while the older one was carefully folding her napkin into tight little triangles like it was origami. They weren’t talking much, but they weren’t afraid anymore either. That was something.
Carla had relaxed too, though it was in the way of someone who knew this quiet wouldn’t last forever. Her smile came easier now, especially when her daughters laughed or whispered to one another like kids should.
When the waitress came back to refill their mugs, Sayer glanced up at her. “You got any of that brownie cake still? The one by the register?”
She grinned. “Sure do. Want a slice?”
“Two, to-go. One for each of them.” He nodded toward the girls without making a big deal of it.
The waitress beamed. “I’ll box ‘em up.”
Diamond watched him from the rim of her mug, her brow lifting just slightly.
“What? If I’m gonna win them over, it’s gonna be with sugar.” He gave her a slow, smug grin. “Same strategy I used with you.”
Diamond snorted, shaking her head. “I don’t remember any sugar involved.”
He leaned a little closer, lowering his voice, “That’s ‘cause you’re the tougher sell.”
The waitress returned with a small white bag, grease spots already forming on the bottom. The girls’ eyes lit up when she handed it over, and they reached for it like it held treasure.
“It’s for later,” Carla reminded gently, her tone soft but firm.
Both girls nodded, clutching the bag with the quiet reverence kids always have for dessert.
Diamond stood first, sliding out of the booth and stretching. “Alright,” she said, voice dipping back into business. “We’ve got miles to cover.”
Sayer dropped a few bills on the table, enough for the meal and a good tip, then stood and offered Carla a hand as she helped the girls down from the seat.
The bell over the door jingled again as they stepped back into the cool morning air. The sun had burned off the last of the chill, and the rig sat waiting in its quiet corner of the lot, the trailer still unhitched.
