Chapter 13 - THE WAITRESS WHO BUILT SOMETHING NEW
I didn't quit Diner 82 immediately.
That surprised everyone.
Including me.
But I loved parts of the job.
The regulars.
The late-night conversations.
The small ways people looked after one another.
What I didn't love was watching families drown in bills they didn't understand.
After Lily's recovery progressed, I began volunteering with a local patient advocacy organization.
I helped people organize paperwork.
Prepare questions for billing offices.
Find legitimate financial assistance resources.
And understand when to request a review.
I wasn't a lawyer.
I wasn't a medical professional.
I made that clear.
But I knew what it felt like to sit at a kitchen table surrounded by bills.
And I knew how much it mattered when someone helped you sort through them.
Eventually, I enrolled in evening classes related to nonprofit administration and patient advocacy.
Mateo supported me.
He offered encouragement.
Helped me practice presentations.
And learned not to solve every problem with his checkbook.
One evening, he visited Diner 82.
The windows had been repaired.
The neon sign glowed.
He sat at Booth Four.
I approached with my order pad.
“Coffee?”
He smiled.
“Black.”
“Pie?”
“Cherry.”
I nodded.
“Very adventurous.”
He laughed.
Then looked at me.
“Harley.”
“Yes?”
“Are you happy?”
I considered.
Then smiled.
“Getting there.”
He reached across the table.
May you like
I took his hand.
And for the first time, I didn't feel guilty about wanting a future of my own.
