SECOND CHANCES

When I walked into work that morning, he was already sitting alone in the last booth: a well-dressed and distinguished-looking older gentleman with a head full of silver hair and a kind smile. I'd only been working here at the Last Stop Cafe for a week, and I already had my first regular.

My waitress shift started at 8:00 a.m, and he would already be there waiting for me in the same booth, and he always ordered the same thing. Two eggs over easy with two strips of crispy bacon, wheat toast, and a cup of black coffee.

"Good morning, Mr. Johnson," I said and poured him a cup of coffee." Would you like a stack of pancakes this morning?" I asked with a smile, knowing full well that he wouldn't order anything except for his usual.

"Good morning Ellie, I'll just have the usual," he replied with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

I didn't realize it at the time, but just having him there always helped brighten my day. Even on my worst days, a smile or a kind word from him always helped make things better. And as time went by, we even started to confide in each other. He knew about our money problems because of my husband Kyle's drinking and gambling problems. And how we were always one paycheck short of losing our home. Especially now since Kyle had shown up drunk at my old job and had gotten me fired from my personal assistant job.

And I knew how much he missed his late wife Molly, the love of his life. She'd died early on in their marriage and how they had never gotten that big family that they had wanted. I also knew how much he loved tinkering around on his antique truck and taking it out for Sunday drives in the country.

As time went by, Mr. Johnson became more and more important in my life as Kyle became less and less so. Unfortunately, I'd talked about him to Kyle, and realizing that Mr. Johnson was wealthy, he'd become obsessed with me getting closer to the older man. Hoping, I would imagine that he would write me into his will.

Lately, things had become worse at home, Kyle was drinking more than ever and would fly into a rage at the drop of a hat. That's when I'd learned that he had lost big at gambling, and we'd likely end up having to sell everything that we owned, even my wedding ring, to pay it back. And that is what brought me here today.

I entered through the kitchen door using the key that Mr.Johnson had accidentally left at the cafe last week. Today was his day to play cards with some of his old war buddies, so I knew that he wouldn't be back for hours. Kyle was parked behind an evergreen on a side street to keep a lookout just in case. But in actuality, he was just a coward who wanted to make sure that he could get away in time.

I walked on through the kitchen and headed for Mr. Johnson's study as it was the most likely place to find any money or valuables. Once inside, I started methodically searching the room, starting with his desk. The bottom drawer is cracked open, and when I open it, I see a stack of bills inside. Why would he leave that much money just lying around like this? I wonder as I count exactly twenty thousand dollars.

I pick up the cash and start to put it in my backpack when I glance up and see a silver-framed wedding photo of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson sitting on the desk. They are so young and in love with their whole lives before them, and I wonder what it must be like to have a relationship like that? I had spent most of my life in the foster system, my mom had died when I was very young, so I didn't have any examples of a real marriage. At first, I'd thought it was what Kyle and I'd had when we'd got married four years ago, and maybe we did before the drinking and gambling started. But I just didn't know anymore, he wasn't the same, and neither was I.

How had my life come to this? I felt trapped, I didn't want to steal from my friend, I didn't want to steal from anyone, but I didn't know what would happen if I walked back out there without anything. Lately, Kyle had started pushing me around when I didn't cooperate, and I was afraid of what he might do if he felt desperate.

I looked out the window and saw that Kyle had gotten out of our jeep and was now pacing impatiently back and forth. His light blonde hair was mussy and looked like he hadn't used a brush on it in quite some time. And his normally pale complexion was flushed from all of the alcohol that he consumed on a daily basis. The sight of him used to make my heart beat faster, but now it only feels me with hopelessness and regret.

Making up my mind, I put the cash back into the drawer and pick up the old-fashioned desk phone and dial the police dept. I know that there will be no going back after this, but my mind is made up.

The hardest thing about walking out the door and into the waiting police car was the thought of facing Mr. Johnson as he stood outside on the sidewalk. I could hardly stand to look him in the face and see the disappointment in his eyes. To my surprise, there was no disappointment, just sadness, and concern.

***

Six Hours Later:

I don't know what's going on; they are releasing me from jail for some reason. As I'm standing there on the sidewalk, a dark car pulls up beside me, and the back door opens. Sitting there in the back seat is Mr. Johnson. He motions me over, and I slide into the seat beside him.

"I know that you have a lot of questions, Ellie," he says with a kind smile and hands me a little black book. "Take a look inside, and then we'll talk."

I opened the book; inside is a folded up paper and a couple of snapshots of me as a young girl. I unfold the paper; it's a birth certificate, and for the father's name David Johnson had been typed in.

"I don't, don't understand?' I stammered in shock. "I never knew my father; that spot was always blank on my birth certificate."

"I've been looking for you for a very long time," he said sadly. "Your mother sent me a letter right before she died telling me about you. But once you were in the system, it was like you never existed."

"But how did you find me?" I whispered.

"My private detective found you a few months ago, and ever since, I've been trying to find the courage to talk to you. And when you started working at the cafe, I thought that would be a perfect way to get to know you."

"And now you know that I'm a thief," I said with shame.

"Oh, Ellie," he said, covering my hand with his. "It kills me to know that you were that desperate. I would have given you that twenty thousand and more. And I was getting ready to tell you the truth. But I have admit to being a little hesitant about your husband."

I nodded,"nobody could blame you for that; Kyle was a horrible choice that I made fresh out of the foster system and high school."

"Well then, since we're both in agreement on that, why don't we go home, and I'll have my lawyer draw up the papers so that we can get rid of that bad choice once and for all."

"Does this mean that you want me to live with you?" I asked. Feeling like this was a dream, and I would wake up any minute back in my old bed with Kyle snoring beside me.

"I don't want to seem pushy, but I would very much like for my daughter to come and live with me," Dad replied.