“And then Leo started helping us,” Marcy explained.
It began with sugar packets. Then napkins. Then condiment bottles. Eventually, he began helping with regular customers.
Suddenly ten years of little comments replayed in my mind.
“I helped Marcy.”
“Mr. Howard likes me.”
“The bottles were wrong.”
I’d heard everything. I simply hadn’t understood any of it.
“We learned Leo,” Marcy said. “Then Leo learned us.”
Behind the counter, Leo picked up three glasses of water and carefully carried them toward Mr. Howard.
“Usual today?”
The old man smiled.
“You remembered.”
Leo frowned.
“You always get the usual.”
Mr. Howard laughed, and my eyes filled with tears.
I turned and found Chloe standing behind me.
“You let me think they were just getting fries.”
“Kait…”
“For ten years.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
Her eyes reddened.
“Because this was his happy place.”
I went silent.
“You love Leo more than anyone in the world,” she continued. “But whenever he struggled, you were always there before he had the chance to find out whether he could handle it himself.”
