I remember all the times I used to call my parents about things that I thought were big and amazing. Every time I got an award or got a perfect score on an essay, they were the first people I would tell. When those moments came from them, they called each other, and before that, they called their parents. I’ve never thought someone would want to call me first about something. It feels great.
-_~* Week 16 *~_-
Everyone is talking, which is strange for Just My Coffee and Me. When Caroline first brought him here, he hadn’t believed the dismal description of the atmosphere she’d provided. The customers who come here are “sad souls” that just need their “scoot juice” to make it through the day. Worse still was that it always ended up being true when they would stop by. Yet today he is waiting for his black coffee and box of cake pops, people chattering at the tables and enjoying themselves. Buggy comes around the counter without her apron sporting a smile on her face, which isn’t necessarily uncommon, but the way she’s smiling is different.
“Haven’t seen you since I started working the day shift,” she whoops happily, lifting her arms for a hug. Buggy and Caroline get along really well, and he’s developed a friendship with her, so the hug isn’t unexpected, necessarily. Santiago just doesn’t know what she’s in such a good mood that prompts her to want a hug.
“Caroline said you got finally got a full-time manager to work the evening shifts awhile back. Have you been enjoying the normal work hours?” Now that she’s closer, the answer is obvious. Buggy is looking happier beyond the way she’s carrying herself. Her eyes are bright, her skin is full of color, and her muscles don’t look strained when she smiles; everything about the change is proving to be healthy.
It makes him happy.
“An old barista of mine just graduated with her bachelor’s in business, so she’s going to work the evening shifts and we’re going to rotate weekends. If all works out, I’m hoping to make her a co-owner so that we can hire a third manager and we can all work shorter weeks and hire more part-time employees to – ” she cuts herself off abruptly, realizing that she’s rambling. A soft chuckle breaks her moments of excitement up into flurries of joy that flicker in and out of her body language. Then she looks around the shop, talking over her shoulder to finish her thoughts. “Now that I don’t live behind that counter, I have so many plans for this place and for myself. Never be married to your work, Santiago. Be married to your life.”
At first, it doesn’t sound like much, and maybe to others, it seems pretty obvious, but to Santiago, it is incredibly powerful. Going into medicine is time-consuming, requiring a person to give all of themselves to the job, and even his parents were ‘married’ to their careers. Santiago never would’ve thought that there was something other than working a lot and squeezing every ounce of enjoyment out of his time with his family. That’s the only life he’s ever known.
“I’m glad that you can be now,” Santiago says softly, waving as Buggy starts telling him how she really must get going because she has a campaign meeting for her Dungeons and Dragons group in an hour. When she leaves – as if in communication with the universe – Santiago’s cell starts buzzing in his pocket.
He accepts the call without looking to see who it is, answering formally, “Santiago Riviera speaking.”
“Guess what!” she shrieks from her side of the phone. It’s not the shrill sort of voice that insinuates panic or concern. No, this tone is one of joy and thrill. Santiago can’t resist the smile tugging at his lips.
“What?” he asks, genuinely interested in her answer. He’s on his way to pick her up from the school – she had a weekend final she needed to take, and he promised her smoothies (despite the snow on the ground) and a treat. If she hasn’t already guessed it’ll be cake pops, then he’s not sure she’s put much thought into it at all. Cake pops are her special treat anytime she overcomes something really difficult.
Though, finals aren’t hard for her. It’s the ‘getting the work done on time’ bit that she struggles with since she doesn’t care for the time management aspect of turning in assignments. Still, good grades are worth the treat.
“The person Doctor Anya knew was moving out of the dorms is Dana from group! Her parents have already signed a three-month lease but she needs a job and a roommate. As it happens, I know someone who is hiring, so it’s absolutely perfect!” each word comes in loud bursts. The whole thought is a bit of a cheer, so to speak, and she’s energized so obviously that he can feel it through the phone. “When do you think you’ll get here?”
Santiago looks around, only just barely hearing his name being called at the pass for his coffee and the cake pops. “I’m at Just My Coffee and Me, actually. I should be there in about five minutes.”
“Awesome. We can talk more about this in the car, then. I just wanted to share right away. I thought I was going to burst,” her explanation is to the point and innocent, which he finds adorable. She hangs up the phone shortly after he grabs his order, saying that she’s going to walk to the parking lot so that he doesn’t have to find a spot, and he accepts the offer gladly. The sooner they can get back to his dorm, the sooner they can start watching through the movies they keep putting off because of all their studying.
The whole drive, there, Santiago can’t stop thinking about the fact that Caroline called him right away with her good news. I thought I was going to burst, she said, I just wanted to share right away. Caroline called him first to let him know that she’s going to be moving in with someone that she knows already that she can reasonably trust. It doesn’t get better than that, really.
Just when he thinks his smile can’t get any bigger – it does.
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