Not loudly.
Not easily.
But little pieces of herself began slipping out.
She told Tiana about the orange cat her father was allergic to but let her keep anyway.
She told her about the sketchbook she now turned sideways because her right hand was “on vacation.”
She told her she hated when adults bent down too much and spoke slowly, as if her cast had made her unable to understand English.
Tiana listened.
She did not rush her.
She did not finish her sentences.
She did not say, “Poor thing.”
At one point, Tiana folded an extra napkin and tucked it under the edge of the cast so it would not rub against Lila’s skin.
The girl let her.
That small bit of trust landed quietly between them.
Then Darren’s voice cut across the dining room.
“Tiana.”
She turned.
He stood near the service station, clipboard in hand.
“Jessica’s table has been waiting ten minutes for drinks.”
Tiana took a breath.
“Jessica has been gone for over an hour. I’m covering her section and mine.”
Darren’s mouth tightened.
“Don’t argue on the floor.”
“I’m not arguing. I’m explaining.”
“Then explain faster.” His eyes shifted toward Lila. “And stop babying the kid in the corner. This is not a day care.”
The dining room went quiet in that horrible way people pretend not to notice.
Lila stiffened.
Her left hand curled around the edge of the table.
Tiana felt heat rise in her chest.
But when she spoke, her voice stayed calm.
“Her name is Lila. She is a guest. I’m doing my job.”
Darren’s face darkened.
“Office. After your shift.”
Tiana nodded once.
Not defeated.
Just storing the moment for later.
She turned back toward Lila.
The girl’s eyes were wide.
“Did I get you in trouble?”
“No,” Tiana said immediately. “You did not.”
“But he’s mad.”
“Darren is mad when ice melts too slowly.”
Lila stared for half a second.
Then she laughed so hard she had to cover her mouth.
The man in the gray coat looked down at his table.
His jaw moved once.
When he looked back up, there was no softness in his eyes.
There was decision.
The check came a little later.
Lila had drawn a crooked cat on the back of the kids’ menu using her left hand.
Its eyes were uneven.
Its tail was too long.
One ear pointed up while the other drooped.
Tiana leaned over.
“I love him.”
Lila wrinkled her nose.
“He looks weird.”
“Most interesting cats do.”
“He needs a name.”
Tiana studied the drawing seriously.
