Leo’s hands immediately flew to his ears.
Instantly, the entire diner went quiet.
No one stared. No one panicked. Nobody rushed toward him with apologies. They simply remembered.
Slowly, Leo lowered his hands.
Marcy grimaced.
“Sorry. We forgot ourselves.”
Leo considered her words for a few seconds.
“It’s okay, Marcy. It’s okay, everyone. You remembered fast.”
I had to turn away before he saw me crying again.
At the front door, I noticed his black apron still hanging behind the counter. My hand almost lifted automatically.
“Leo, you forgot…”
But I stopped myself.
A moment later, Leo noticed it on his own. He turned around, walked back to the counter, folded the apron carefully, and placed it beneath the register with the others.
He would need it Saturday.
“See you Saturday,” Leo called.
Several voices answered at once.
“See you Saturday, Leo!”
Outside, Richard slipped his hand into mine while Chloe walked beside Leo with a quiet smile. For years, one question had kept me awake at night: What would happen to my son when Richard and I were no longer there to help him?
