Later that evening, exhausted and tired, finally having been given a real break, Peter walked over to the Cowffee Cup, and immediately his spirits were lifted when he saw Therese. She had mostly recovered from the rude girls, and was excited to see him so she walked halfway to meet him. Therese looked beautiful and Peter grinned boldly. Therese grinned her flat grin, but Peter could tell by now she was very happy to see him. They exchanged greetings, and finally, Peter drew up a bit of courage to beat lingering boyhood fears of women. Therese was like no other and he was nervous for the first time in a long time. “May I please take you out to dinner tomorrow?” asked Peter.
“Yes. Please.” Therese replied. Her heart raced, she was excited, and no boy had ever asked her out before.
“You look nice.” Peter told Therese, unsure and too nervous to say anything else.
“Let me smell your breath.” Therese told peter. He breathed out.
“Yuck, smells like my lunch.’ Therese said. “Eat two mints.” Peter obliged, and chewed two mints. “I want you to kiss me, please.” Peter obliged, and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Therese, who kept her eyes open and jumped back as before. Therese laughed, she found kissing Peter exciting.
“Thank you.” Peter said. Peter’s lungs tried to catch enough oxygen for his racing heart.
“You are welcome.” Therese told Peter “I need to go back to work.” Therese told him and turned to walk back to work. Peter ducked out the back door and went back to work, suddenly energized.
Erin watched the whole exchange and did her best to hide her laughter. “Okay, you do need some pointers on kissing, like close your eyes.” Erin told Therese.
“How will I know if he likes it?” asked the younger girl.
“He likes it.” Erin reassured her. “He likes it a lot.”
“How do you know?” asked Therese.
“Just watch. 3, 2, 1.” Erin counted as Peter walked int the door frame, stepped back , and re-orientated himself to go back to work. “He walks into the door frame all the time, but he didn’t say ouch this time.” Erin explained.
“Yes, kissing is nice.” Therese told her. “Do I need to have sex with him tomorrow?” Therese asked Erin. Erin was stunned and dropped a cup on the floor, which luckily only broke into a few large pieces.
“Two to two, we’re tied” Therese told Erin, who laughed and grabbed the dustpan. Erin realized this wasn’t the first joke Therese had played on her, the girl was really starting to come around. She looked at her and smiled proudly, maybe she was helping her more than she knew. If she asked Therese, Therese would tell her Erin helped her more than she ever knew, but she didn’t, so Therese went and started washing dishes.
Later that evening, Vivo walked in and announced “Game night.” Ben followed, carrying the little girl Ana, grabbing a highchair and putting Ana in it at the table. “We’ll take turns,” Erin told Therese “If anyone comes in. And remember our secret sign.” Therese winked and stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth. “That’s the one.” Erin told her.
“Any questions?” Ben asked Therese as he opened a Monopoly game.
“If Peter is Ana’s father, who is her mother?” Therese asked, calmly, looking at Ben.
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Ben was caught off guard and almost jumped out of his chair. Vivo laughed at Ben and spit coffee out his nose which burned. Erin tried hiding her face in her hand. “You knew?” asked Ben.
“He has a car seat in his car. Sometimes he has extra diapers and a bottle in his backpack at school. I’m not stupid.” Therese told Ben with a pleasant but flat tone.
“So why are you asking me now?” said Ben. He had never thought Therese stupid.
“You said any questions.” Erin told him.
“Yep.” said Therese.
“Remember the sister I said you remind me of?” Ben told Therese, choking a little. Therese looked forward in silent understanding. “She might have been a great mom one day, if she had that chance.” Therese stood up, walked over, and sat next to Ben. She awkwardly put her arm, slowly around him.
“Ben?” said Therese.
“Yeah?” Ben said.
“I wish you were my brother.” replied Therese.
“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.” said Ben giving Therese a big squeeze side hug back. Therese loved the smell of his dirty shirt. It smelled like family. Therese sat next to Ben and they began trading pointers in their strategy of the Monopoly game. Ben was bold and reckless, Therese was calculated and focused, Vivo was unpredictable, and Erin was lucky. Erin was so lucky, the game ended early, and she had rows of stacked properties.
“I think she cheats.” Ben told Therese. Therese stared back and wondered if Ben was serious.
“I’m kidding.” Ben told Therese. Therese smiled.
“Like you can trust a muffin thief, anyways.” Erin told Therese.
“I only steal the best muffins.” Ben told Erin, “There are rules for this sort of thing.” Ben turned his head and yelled to the back of the store “CLOSE THE SHOP PETER, AND COME OVER”. Therese smiled faintly when Peter entered the room, “See, that’s why I hate him.” Ben whispered to Therese, who blushed.
Five minutes later, Peter came in and sat down at the table with his other friends. Ana reached for him, so Peter went over and picked her up and held her. Ana gave her dad a big tight squeeze around his neck. Peter liked this, and he smiled. He closed his eyes and held Ana. He loved his friends and appreciated all the help they had given him, and he was grateful.
“Your daughter is cute.” Therese told Peter.
“You knew?” asked Peter.
Ben and Therese both rolled their eyes back and said “She’s not stupid/ I’m not stupid” at the same time.
“Do you want to hold her?” asked Peter.
“No, her diaper just started smelling.” said Therese.
“Oh yeah it is.” Ben said. Ben handed the diaper bag to Peter and said, “Go do your job.”
Peter came back, Ana refreshed just as the night was ending. Ben pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Peter. “There’s directions on there, I got this one.” Ben said. Peter saw Ben’s scribble on the bottom of the note. It was clearly a B-E-N as only he could scribble. “I know the owner. And on that note, I am out of here.” Ben excused himself and left for the night.
“Wait.” Therese told Ben, as she went and grabbed her cardboard portfolio from behind the counter, she walked back to the group. Therese opened her portfolio and she pulled out the ink drawing she made for Ben and handed it to him. “I made this for you.” Therese said to Ben handing him the bright ink-colored drawing with the sunshine and the rabbits.
Ben smiled and choked up, he could barely say “Thank you.” his eyes looked at the beautiful drawing and admired it, the drawing being the prettiest thing anyone ever gave him.
Therese handed a painting of rabbits to Erin, who also smiled and cried happy tears. “Thank you, it is beautiful.” said Erin, giving Therese a big hug.
“And this is for you.” Therese said to Vivo handing him an inked comic book style drawing of Space-Girl Michelle.
“Thank you, this is freaking awesome.” Vivo said, grinning.
“You’re easy to shop for.” Therese told Vivo, and everyone nodded in agreement.
Therese handed Peter one of her senior pictures. Peter grinned beat red. “Thank you.” he said, “This is the prettiest picture of them all.” Peter grinned. Therese kissed him on the cheek and Peter grinned proud.
“I’d better get to bed, and get her to bed. I have to work tomorrow. Goodnight,” Peter told everyone, as everyone stood up to leave.
“Don’t forget to bring mints.” Therese told Peter directly.
“I won’t.” Peter said, getting up to leave and walking Therese to her car. Erin and Vivo waived goodbye, locked the store and left on their own way. Peter walked Therese to her car, and told her “Thank you for taking me as I am.”
“Peter.” Therese said, “Thank you for taking me as I am.” Therese said, shutting her door and waving goodbye. She stayed until Ana was safely in the car, Peter had started his car, and went the other way. Therese held the new shirt against herself as she drove. Therese was very excited about tomorrow.