---

"Here you are, sir." Reya smiled as she poured coffee into a mug and set it down gently onto a wooden table, "Would you like sugar with that?" Her blue eyes looked up at the portly man sitting at the table, who looked back at her with a playful smirk from under his greying mustache.

"You're plenty sugar enough, doll, thank ya."

She forced a convincing laugh, "You just holler if you need anything, then."

Quickly she turned and took the coffee pot back to the kitchen, glad to escape further conversation with the truck driver who had spent the night in the tavern to get some shut eye before he headed out on the road again. Unfortunately, truckers were always hit or miss for her. Either they wanted to talk to you for hours on end, and slip in inappropriate comments along the way, or they didn't want to speak to you at all. She usually preferred the latter, although she remained grateful for all of their business. Awkward conversation was a small price to pay for the stability of her income.

plink.. plink.. plink..

"Ohh... Shit! Reya set down the coffee pot onto one of the kitchen counters and rushed to a cabinet which held a large soup pot. As soon as she pulled it out she ran to the middle of the kitchen where water was slowly dripping in from the ceiling, setting the pot underneath so that the water would collect there instead of on the old wooden floors. "Damn it..." She muttered to herself, eyes glued to the ceiling where the water was coming from.

Her father had been meaning to fix that leak in the roof for at least three years now. He never did get around to it. It annoyed Reya every year, and yet here she was having the same problem a year after the tavern had become solely hers. A year to the day, exactly.

Reya's gaze slowly turned toward the window, seeing that the rain was coming down in full force. She walked over to the window and sighed, staring outside and suddenly feeling a heaviness in her heart. One year ago today, on the Winter Solstice, her father had made the final decision to exit this life. He left her with everything, even this leaky roof. For a brief moment she wondered if perhaps she should take it as a sign from her father in the after life, telling her to get it taken care of before the weather got worse.

A weak smile began to appear on her lips as she watched the rain come down, puddling up on the ground outside around the tavern. Her father had always despised the rain, especially if it rained during winter. He loved winter, the snow, and the cold. Rain while it should be snowing was blasphemy in his eyes! The fact that it was raining on the winter solstice today would have sent him into an angry rant as he glared at the hole in the roof that he kept putting off fixing. No doubt the snow would arrive soon - the temperature had already dipped into the low 40s. But today, her dad would have been as irritable as ever.

Reya shook her head, "I'll get that fixed soon." She whispered to herself, turning to look up at the leaking roof again. "Ruben certainly won't be happy about this..." She smiled again, imagining the look on his face when he walked in for his shift today to see yet another year with rain water dripping into his beloved kitchen.

---

---

Ruben walked in the doors of the Fox Hole Tavern a few minutes after eight in the morning. Two older ladies instantly noticed them, his mother's church companions, "Oh, Micah, you are looking more handsome with age," the one said with a smile.
His brows furrowed while he gave a smile, "Thank you, Mrs.Kreps," he dipped his head while making his way towards the back. Those two older ladies always bothered him, probably because they constantly talked to his mother.

"You should come to help me around the house! I need a young, strong man to move furniture," Mrs.Lonner stated while waving him off to his work.
Waving her back, he smiled, "I will think about it. I already cleaned your driveway this morning," he informed her while entering the back.
Him being an 'angel'; or something along those lines were said by the older ladies while he entered the back of the tavern.

Entering the back, he usually shows up fifteen to thirty minutes before his shifts. Instantly, Ruben could hear the dripping noise echoing from the soup pot Reya put down not too long ago. Sighing while walking past it, he ignored it while taking off his brown leather jacket and hanging it up in the employee's area.

Glancing over to the damaged area, he slowly walked over while blinking at the pot a few times. Thinking about how he should respond to this occurrence, he let his eyes follow the drips up to the ceiling while he thought about things, "Hey, Reya!" raising his voice while calling the boss's name. His voice echoed naturally, which made it louder in enclosed spaces, but his tone showed that he was light-hearted or wanted to ask something out of curiosity.
If Reya was only a few feet by him or not, he was hyper-fixated on the dripping noise and the overall damage that the water was creating; Ruben didn't even notice her.

The leak usually occurred around this time of year or rainy seasons, so he knew it wasn't a leaky pipe. Running his fingers through his hair, he kept them there while staring up at the ceiling that showed water damage.

The year before last.
Last year.
Now this year.

Ruben's shift didn't start till 8:30 A.M. today, so he wasn't in any rush to get away from the leaking roof. It gave him more time to consider the situation and what he should do about it.
Knowing that this small town didn't have a constant business, he knew that Reya might not be able to put extra expenses into fixing the roof. Ruben was decided if he wanted to climb up on the roof in December and see what he could do about it. This thought caused him to bite his lip, he didn't want to fall through if water damage had affected the structure.

---

Emma:
Shaking off the wet and the cold, Emma walked inside and went straight through the lobby into the 'Employee Only' section without blinking an eye. She was already late for the Diner, and had forgotten to let Reya know about the delay in the delivery. Again. She was worrying that this was starting to become a habit and she couldn't do that to her already jam packed schedule.

But seeing as the Diner supplied the Tavern with some specialty baked goods like scones, danishes, croissants- easy things that they wouldn't have to worry about, Emmie unintentionally spent a lot of time running between the Tavern and her second home acting like a liaison of sorts. At least her father trusted her with something other than waiting tables in the form of baking some things from home and running them over before or after her shift a few times a week.

But today, she was running behind, and the weather was making her want to stay in bed and be cozy with some hot chocolate and a warm scone or cookie to feed her soul.

Pausing outside of the kitchen door where she heard familiar voices, she took a deep breath and put a small smile on her lips before pushing the door open, poking her head in to see them having a conversation and waiting for a quick pause to interject her piece.

"I am so sorry! The big oven stopped working last night and we can't-" She paused, looking at Reya, and then the ceiling, chuckling for a moment. "Leaking again? We have a guy we can let yo use." She offered, a little breathless and finally noticed Ruben staring intently at the growing wet spot above them. "And good morning to you too Ruben..." she smiled a little, holding out a bag of warm scones.

"Breakfast anyone?" Emmie offered, giving a small shrug. It's not like her dad would honestly fire her for being late on a Tuesday. He did the 5am opening shift anyway! "They are blueberry and lemon zest scones I baked off this morning because I couldn't sleep- I'm talking too much again." She cut herself off with an awkward chuckle.

Emma had more energy than someone at her age typically had, and an almost annoying positive look on life despite living in this town since birth. But she tried her best to smile at everyone, and make them feel welcome and heard regardless if they had been here just as long or it was their first day. But she loved this town, despite everything behind the scenes...

---

Ruben glanced over to make sure whoever was entering the back of the Tavern was supposed to. Seeing Emma's familiar face, he raised a brow before looking at his watch and decided not to comment about her being late since he had better things to do than tease her today.
Usually, he would comment something along the lines of 'Oh, you're early this time' or a sarcastic comment that he meant to be playful and light-hearted. He would do this no matter if it was taken wrongly or not by the young woman.

Realizing Reya was only feet away from him, he sighed and realized; he should have gotten more sleep last night. Trying to keep his attention on the drip, he was figuring out how heavy it was and if it was constant before getting to work.
Emma began to talk about a guy that she had that could look at the roof, and Ruben's face twisted, physically showing that he was bothered that the girls, assumingly, were going to get another guy to do this job. "I can do it..." he whispered and didn't mind if anyone didn't hear him.

Breaking from his obsessiveness of this water damage, he decided to give a faint smile to Emma. "Goodmorning Emma," he spoke softer in the mornings, usually.
Allowing himself to be taken away from the water damage and move closer to Emma, he glanced at the bag of scones. Thinking about taking one, but he waved his hand to show he wasn't interested right now - he ate this morning.

Ruben raised a brow when Emma brought up the type of scones and that she was talking too much; she seemed to quiet down right away. Sighing, he spoke up, "Your talking is fine, Emma. You have a decent-sounding voice, so at least it's not irritating," this was a compliment coming from Ruben. If it was taken as one or not, he meant it to be a compliment or positive statement, but he never seemed to directly compliment people.

Deciding to clock in a few minutes early, he registered his time as 8:27 in the morning. Ruben's usual shift was right when the Tavern opened or a bit after. His schedule said to clock out at 5 in the afternoon, but he tended to stay after for Reya if he was on the clock or not.
He began to wash his hands over in the kitchen sink and prep himself for work this morning. The regular was eggs, toast, and other common breakfast items, which were on the menu. Very few people ordered customizable breakfasts, but he didn't mind if they did.

---

Emma:

Lost in her own thoughts after she shut herself up, Emmie avoided eye contact for a few moments, not even hearing Ruben when he softly stood up for himself after she laid out her offer on the table. She didn't mean to flaunt that her family had money, or that she could help other people on a whim because it wouldn't cost them much. It just- happened sometimes! Emmie didn't even realize that she practically belittled him by assuming that he couldn't fix the roof. But his slight interest in her baked goods snapped her out of her mind faster than Thanos could snap away half of the population.

"Yeah?" She smiled a bit more as he moved closer to inspect the warm pastries before deciding against it. She shrugged slightly but understood, they weren't for everyone. "I can leave this if you want, for later." She offered next, a smaller smile on her lips as she moved towards a stainless steel table by the door and gently placed the bag down. "You can never go wrong with a home baked snack. And I know that you both work long hours so take it, please. And if you don't eat it, feed it to the geese!" She burst out laughing at her own joke for a few moments before realizing that she was literally the only one laughing. In the entire damn room.

They aren't morning people, that's fair. I am. I get it. She thought to herself and brushed some curls out of her eyes as she listened to the compliment from Ruben- which was rare from him! Tilting her head slightly she smiled gently at him, the genuine thanks written all over her face. "I'm going to bake you something special for that. What do you love? Or hate? Fruit? Or something more savory? Roasted tomato and spinach biscotti? Muffins? Three tiered cake?" She excitedly grilled the poor guy to figure out what his taste buds enjoyed the most.

---

Reya's eyes darted to the kitchen door as Ruben walked in, his greeting immediately snapping her out of her thoughts about her father. She gently smiled as she watched his eyes glue to the dripping ceiling, unable to look away. "Hey Rue." She took her eyes off him and looked up at the ceiling again, sitting in the comfortable silence as they both thought about what to do about the issue.

"I am so sorry! The big oven stopped working last night and we can't- ... Leaking again? We have a guy we can let you use."

Reya let out a small laugh, recognizing that chipper voice immediately. "I know, I know..." She muttered, feeling a ping of guilt for forgetting to get it fixed immediately. She had so much else to worry about when her father had passed though; it must've easily slipped her memory due to the dry season they had before winter arrived.

Hearing Rueben's nearly silent offer to fix the roof, she smiled and shook her head. "No, it's okay... I'll take you up on that offer, Emma, when the weather clears."

Just as Emma offered up breakfast pastries, Reya's stomached grumbled right on cue. "Oh, I've love one! I skipped breakfast this morning..." Reya grinned and swiped up one of the scones and began digging in. "These are delicious, Emma. As always!" As she picked apart pieces of the scone to eat, her mind unavoidably wandered back to her father. He had a love for sweet baked treats and so Emma had quickly become one of his favorite people to come around the tavern. No matter the mood he was in, she could always cheer up his day when she came in offering a treat or two.

As she devoured her breakfast, Reya listened to Rueben and Emma chat with each other. Her brow raised as Rueben offered Emma a genuine compliment. "Does Rueben have a little crush?" She thought, a little smirk appearing on her lips as she ate her scone and tried not to make direct eye contact with them.

"I'm going to go check on our guests." Reya decided to leave them on their own, just in case Rueben did actually want to do a little flirting for once. That, and the fact that she hadn't checked on the couple of people out at the tables in ten or fifteen minutes. "Thank you again, Emma. I'll call you about that roof guy you have." With that, she headed out of the kitchen and shoved the last piece of scone in her mouth.

---

---

Ruben decided to work around the two girls while they stood in the kitchen and talked about scones and other things. In particular, he didn't like how they kept talking about this person who could come fix the roof since they could have asked him. Though he wasn't in major agony over the conversation, he was just going to go on the roof after his shift and check it out; maybe on his lunch break.

Glancing at the still dripping roof while it echoed out throughout the kitchen, he knew it was going to bother him all day. Just the noise of water drops hitting the metal over and over again, every few minutes, but he hoped to drown the sound out with it being steady.

Finally, arriving at the main part of his station, he began to heat the stoves to a proper temperature and prep his workstation. It was going to be easy, like most mornings, since breakfast was not a hard task to do for Ruben who had experience in high-end kitchens.
He enjoyed the slow pace of a small town and how personal you could be with someone, it was nice and relaxing for him. Over two years being back in Sanctuary, he still couldn't believe he was home and happier here.

Grabbing pans and utensils, he started to allow the pans to heat up with the stovetop. While things were heating up, he walked over to where his apron hung and began to put it on.

"I'm going to bake you something special for that. What do you love? Or hate? Fruit? Or something more savory? Roasted tomato and spinach biscotti? Muffins? Three tiered cake?"

The bolstering domino effect of words caused him to raise a brow since he didn't think he would get such a reaction. Is she getting excited over what I said? Ruben was in thought while being confused about getting such a reaction, since he didn't think it was such a big deal, but he wasn't looking at the bigger picture in this situation.

Giving the young woman a side glance while she was bombarding him with questions about his favorite desserts. Before he could answer, Reya's comment seemed to strike him in some way.

"Thank you again, Emma. I'll call you about that roof guy you have."

Ruben seemed to stand still as if he froze in time while watching the other girl leave the backroom. Rolling his eyes and began to mumble something to himself while grabbing eggs out of the fridge, "Don't let it go to your head." He said to Emma. Seeming to be waking up and getting into his typical mood.

The women began to wake him up from their talking. He enjoyed their conversations, he would eavesdrop, most of the time, not on purpose. The waitressing counter was right there since Reya and others had to pick up the food he was serving.

Ruben seemed to shut down in a way before grabbing ingredients for pancakes. He was trying to make himself busy while Reya collected orders for him.

---

"I am letting this go straight to my head. Maple pancake cupcakes it is." She amounted with a firm nod before feeling the phone vibrate in her pocket- she was definitely too late to beg forgiveness at this point.... That had to be her dad. "Crap crap crap- I gotta run I'm so late!" She suddenly exclaimed and looked from her phone to Ruben, backing towards the door to head to her own job across town in this deplorable weather. "Make sure she eats today, or I'll have your head." She pointed towards the door, and then the bag she left on the table so he could encourage Reya to eat something else today. She worked too hard! But her tone was motherly and teasing all at the same time- she never had ill will towards either of those two in town.

But with a small wave goodbye, she turned and ran out of the kitchen, darting through tables and giving Reya a big wave from the coat racks to get her attention. "I'll hit you up later with that number. Bye!" She called out and donned her bright purple raincoat once more to brave the weather and head out to the Diner to officially begin her day.

---

"I am letting this go straight to my head. Maple pancake cupcakes it is."

Ruben knew he should have kept to himself and said nothing, but he felt bad that the girl thought she was annoying. She had a lot of energy for her age, and he understood that. He appeared very docile during his work schedule, but he was the complete opposite while outside of work. During his days off or free times around his work schedule, Ruben was doing morning or nighttime jogs, yoga, or something along the lines of staying active and keeping himself balanced in a sense.

His behavior started during his freshman year of high school when he began to engage in sports. The biggest sport Ruben was known for playing was football since he was the best size for being a quarterback, and he was decent enough to get a scholarship for college from it. From all this activity throughout his life, his mother always comments on how he would be a wonderful father even though he cannot imagine himself having kids - maybe because his father was horrible. He was scared of being like him.

Letting his thoughts go back to Emma, he hated how she would bring herself down since others have repeatedly told her negative things throughout the year, which made her think she 'talked too much.' This small town would do that to you, and he understood the people here could be two-faced like anywhere else. It was too small sometimes, to a fault.
In honesty, he didn't understand why people were so rude, but he knew that people liked to only talk about themselves most of the time; Emma could talk about everything and anything -- People hate the questioners, especially in this small town.

"Crap crap crap- I gotta run I'm so late!"

Letting himself glance over to the woman who was accusingly looking at him while trying to escape the building. Raising a brow, like usual, Ruben seemed to keep somewhat of an interest in what Emma was telling him. "Like always," he teased.

"Make sure she eats today, or I'll have your head."

After he was alone in the kitchen, Ruben couldn't help the faint smile that crept on his lips before getting back to his work. Quitely, he promised Emma that he would, "I'll make sure she does."
He didn't want them thinking he cared too much about them, though he could feel like killing someone if they ever decided to hurt one of those girls.

Sighing, he closed his eyes while he inhaled deeply, allowing himself to exhale slowly before opening his eyes. That familiar expression of sternness appeared on his face once again.
Maybe Ruben was truly like this, or he put up a front, a facade of some kind, so he didn't attach to others. The man seemed to always have a hard time when it came to social gatherings or invitations. Every time he was invited to something by Reya, Emma, or someone else, an excuse came out of his mouth. Never allowed himself to hang out and relax, build close friends since he put a wall between everyone and himself.

And the times that he would accept, most would comment on how he didn't talk the whole time or engage in the activities they were all participating in. Ruben was one to think and observe too much. He barely wanted to be noticed. His mother caused most of the population of Sanctuary to think he went to prison for something horrible, true or not; this gave him anxiety about what people thought of him.

---

Just five minutes.... Five minutes to grab some coffee and breathe... Nicky though to herself as she pushed open the door to the diner and glanced around, deciding on avoiding the people interacting and heading straight for the bar. The sign did say 'Seat Yourself' so why not? She had a little bit of time, her Aunt said that she could step out and she wanted a little bit of fresh caffeine and maybe a bagel? A muffin? Something sweet- and something for Bea to snack on later when she got back home.

Home...

Was her house really home? She had her own room, which was nice. But she hasn't had a chance to paint it yet so the walls were still a pastel blue color and the wallpaper trim was so- floral. Plus the plushy rug was entirely the wrong color. Who pairs pale blue and bright yellow together? Auntie Sarah that's who!! The woman was crazy, but Veronica had a soft spot for her anyway.

"Here's a menu," a stranger smiled and slid a menu in her direction, causing her to jump ever so slightly in surprise as she was lost in her mind again.

"Oh, um, thank you." Nicky pulled the plastic menu a little closer to inspect what she could order today. Some things looked unique to the place, like the 'Rawring French Toast' and the 'Claw Omelet'. Her stomach gave a slight growl at the thought of an omelet- then again she didn't really eat this morning...

"I am so sorry everyone!" A chipper voice immediately followed the obvious 'ding' of the door opening and a short, curly haired young woman ran through the place, trying to rip her wet raincoat off in the process and almost slipping in her own water puddle when she turned around to punch in for her shift.. "Two seconds!!" She announced and disappeared behind the 'Employees Only' sign by the kitchen, literally sliding back into the dining room maybe a minute and a half later. Talk about making an entrance.

Looking down again, she tried to bust herself with the menu, her ears picking up another conversation happening a few tables away- not sure if they officially knew each other or not but the body language said otherwise. Nicky shook her head, doing her best not to be nosy and focus on breakfast- at least that was something in her control today that she could tackle.

---

---

Even as a Londoner Beth never has been a fan of gloomy weathers but the rain right now surely feels like home. She let herself gaze out the window from her work desk, chin resting on one hand, lost way beyond the droplets that trickle down her window and was in deep unbridled contemplation. She had woken up early that morning, around 4 in fact, and started working on her medical journals and research. It was hard to break from both habits since she started med school, or it's just her impulsive workaholism rousing up again in this mellow, lonely day like it always does.

Rhys has had enough however, hopping up her desk and rubbing his furry head under her chin. It made her nose crinkle when his tail lightly touch her nose. Beth returned him a gentle petting.

"Not a fan of the weather too?"

"Maaow."

Beth has yet to experience a lot in this country, check out the sight and appreciate the sunny side of things but she didnt come here for a vacation in the first place. Taking care of Linda has its drawbacks and challenges. A whole year and that old woman has yet to recognize her, let alone call her by her name. To her she was "Randy", thinking about her son who went missing more than a decade ago. Beth's biological half brother.

The doctor briefly gazes out the window, her hand still unmindfully petting her feline companion. "Seems like the weather's not letting up anytime soon. What do you think?"

"Maow."

Beth decided to get some coffee that morning as she hadn't gone out in the past 3 days. She thought of taking a break for awhile. Rhys, sitting still at the corner of the desk, observes his human organize her things before she leaves. She slipped her laptop in her bag, in case she ever felt like working at the cafe. Donning on her coat, she pets Rhys goodbye. "Watch over the office for me while I'm gone, ok? I'll be back soon" Rhys was blissfully grooming himself when she left the clinic.

---

Her old beat up Camry needed some working to make it start that morning as the weather was relatively chilly. After stepping it up and muttering a few curses, the thing finally started and Beth heaves a sigh of victory. After finding a convenient enough place to park, which he never always had a problem with living in a small town, she opens an umbrella and walked towards the cafe. When she got inside she gently shook her umbrella dry, placing it on the rack and adjusting her barett, walked towards the counter.

"Good Morning." she greeted the barista in her usual formal and polite demeanour. The barista also greeted her with some familiarity, as she regularly comes in at the cafe ever so often, either working or just taking it easy. "A dark medium roast please. Hot."

Beth couldn't tell if it's just her but the cafe seemed to be a bit quieter than normal. There's the usual soft sounds of idle chatter, but maybe it's because she never usually came in this early in the day. She abruptly turned around and caught the attention of someone talking albeit, way above the noise range of the establishment.

To Beth, a year in sanctuary isn't long enough to get acquainted or at least be familiar with the locals. Though she had seen or even interacted with some, it seems like there's still a few new and unfamiliar faces around town.

Beth observes the woman, unbothered and soaking wet but she didn't seem to care. She was more concerned, however, about the other stranger's business which, the doctor found the whole interaction between them quite amusing. The one she's talking to however, Beth knows. She could've seen her around the cafe more than once, a very distinct woman she thought, standing out from the usual Sanctuary denizen. She wonders what her intentions are in a place otherwise too conforming for the likes of her. Beth wasn't one to judge though but, was just mainly curious.

The doctor has a way of analyzing and observing things, and the way she does it, is very obvious than she wishes. She was unmindfully staring at this point, deep in her thoughts, not even noticing the barista delivering her coffee on her table.

---

_7:45am

This place is a shit hole, Spade.

Levi glared at his phone as he sent the text message to his previous boss, who also happened to be one of his closest friends. He sat outside under the cover of his front porch in a rickety old wooden chair, hidden from the downpour.

It's only been three months! Give it time.

He rolled his eyes at the reply, taking a long drag out of the cigarette hanging from his mouth. Slowly he let out his breath and looked up from his phone, just barely able to see the surrounding mountains in the area due to the cloud coverage. The scenery was the only saving grace to this town and now he couldn't even see it. Great!

Feels like a goddamn eternity. You can't get me transferred somewhere else? ANYWHERE?

Flicking his cigarette on the ground, he stomped it out with his boot and stared at his phone again, awaiting a reply. To his dismay, all he got was "READ" and silence.

_9:00am

"Morning, Brooks."

Levi looked up from the paperwork that littered his cubicle desk, his icy blue eyes meeting the gaze of the local Sheriff in town; John Williams. The sheriff was a man who was far past his prime, though he had obviously seen much in his day. His left eye was damaged from some kind of altercation he had in the past, though Levi hadn't directly asked him about it yet. The towns folk seemed to like him well enough, but that was probably because he let most criminal offenses slide if you stayed on John's good side. Levi had been extremely unimpressed with him from the get-go. Unfortunately this man was who he reported to now, so he'd have to play nice if he wanted to keep a job.

"Mornin', sir." He feigned a half hearted smile, hoping the old man would leave him to his paperwork instead of draw out another fifty minute conversation about the type of bird he had seen this morning.

"Some weather out there, eh?"

Levi nodded, "Mmhm... sure is" This idle chatter felt like nails on a chalkboard.

"I've got Jake out there manning the speed trap" He let out a chuckle, "Kid must be bored to death. No one would be speeding in this weather!"

Levi forced a "heh" and nodded, glancing out the window at the rain. "I don't know, back in Denver people didn't seem to care if it was dangerous weather or n-" Suddenly the sound of a police siren passing by the office cut him off, and Levi smirked and pointed towards the window, "And, there it is. Sounds like he's not too bored."

John shook his head and took a sip coffee from the mug he had been holding, turning his gaze toward the window as well. "People these days. Humph. Well, I ought to let you get back to it." The old man started walking towards the window, opting to watch the weather instead of go to his office. Levi watched him for a brief moment, taking note of the slight limp in his gait. "He should've retired years ago..." He thought, shaking his head before turning his attention back to his paperwork.

Most of the files were about domestic disputes, a majority of it nothing too serious but nonetheless had to be put into their filing system. Busy work was Levi's mortal enemy. For years he had gotten away from it, and now he felt as if he were right back at step one. It made him want to crawl right out of his skin...

"You know, I'm going to grab some breakfast. You want anything?" He stood up from his desk, slamming a pen down into the mess. He was already completely over this day. The sheriff turned to him and smiled, "I'm fine, thank you. Take your time, I can't imagine things will be too busy today."

Levi practically ran out of the room, throwing on a coat and pulling the hood up over his mess of hair. While he sat in his truck, letting it warm up for a few minutes, he pulled out his phone and brought up Jake Matthew's number and sent him a quick text.

I'm grabbing breakfast at the Cosy Bear. You want anything?

---

Interactions: @Inertia

---

"What can I get you honey?" She asked Nicky, a face she had seen a few times around town here and there for the past two weeks. Someone definitely new, and someone definitely in need of a little kindness today based off of her facial expression. But her order was simple, compared to her outfit screaming to be seen- layers, dark colors, a nose ring! That was certainly something that stood out here a little bit. Not many people had piercings on their face in town... "Anything else?" She asked and flashed a gentle smile at the poor girl.

"No, that will be all. Thanks." She softly dismissed her and Emmie nodded, briskly walking away to give the food ticket to the back and get her coffee going. Now that she was here, she was ready for another Tuesday! Soon enough the regulars would be rolling in and the place would begin to have a little life pumping through it's veins, and that was more than anything to get Emma going. She oved this town, despite her own rocky past with it- and she loved the people. They were her friends, her family, her history. Something in her gut told her that she was never going to leave this place and that was oddly comforting.

But as the door slowly began to ding with people coming and going for coffee, breakfast, to go orders and baked goods, she began to get in the swing of things, darting around to tables, laughing with a few long time patrons and feeling very much herself in the Diner. It was home. "You all know the drill, sit where you like and I will get to you in a few moments." She smiled a few newcomers walking in the door and motioned to the tables around her. That at least gave her a chance to serve the young woman by herself at the bar, and pass out a few to go coffee orders, nothing new. Actually what would have been new would have been n her father gave her a chance to actually start running the finances and give someone else this task in the morning- but alas she was 'the best server in house' and 'he couldn't lose her.... Not yet...'.

Ugh...

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Although Reya didn't always enjoy the waitressing duties, she did often appreciate the way that it almost never gave you a moment to yourself while you were working. On your feet, greeting people, taking orders, serving drinks, entertaining conversation, cleaning tables, restocking supplies... depending on how busy you were, the tasks went on forever. It could be exhausting, she imagined, if the tavern had been a more popular spot. They were never extremely busy, but just busy enough that Reya didn't have to think about her own problems for awhile. Thoughts about her mother, her sister, her father... she didn't have to worry about that. The things she had to worry about in this moment were simple problems, things that could be changed and fixed at a moments notice. It was comforting in a way.

Currently, there were five guests sitting in the tavern. Two of them were a couple, they had stayed for just the night to get rest before getting back on the road - apparently they were making a cross country road trip with one another. The other three were truck drivers who had either stayed for the night or just took a stop to grab a hot meal while they tried to wait out some of the weather. This was just about as busy as the Fox Hole ever got in the morning. The night shift was typically their busiest, as people usually came to the tavern to grab a drink and relax, although even then it was not much busier than this.

"Here's your drinks. I'll be right out with your food."

Ten minutes earlier Reya had made her rounds to each table, took their orders down on a small notepad, and hastily gave the orders to Ruben in the kitchen. One "Pancake Special", one omelet with hash browns, and three "All-American Breakfasts".

Just as she turned to go into the kitchen she heard the door open. She turned her eyes toward the door and beamed a smile when she recognized a familiar face. "Ulises!" She called, raising her left hand in greeting while she held an empty serving tray in her right. "It's good to see you." She gestured toward the remaining tables that were open, "Take a seat wherever. I'll be right over!"

Returning to her original mission, Reya headed into the kitchen. "Phew. It's a little busy out there today." She set the serving tray down on a counter and let out a sigh of relief as she leaned herself back against the counter, watching Ruben work his magic in the kitchen while she waited for him to finish up the orders.

Suddenly, with just another moment to herself, a wave of sadness rushed over her like an ice cold shower. Her dad normally would have been helping her with the guests at this time of day. Although he wasn't all that much help with serving, he was great at keeping up conversation with the patrons and distracting them while they waited for their food. She missed his gruff laugh and the way he would ask each person one thousand questions about their life. How nosy he was use to embarrass her, but now she found herself missing it.

"Hey..." She looked at Ruben, her voice having lost it's more chipper tone that she had been managing to uphold, "Er... Do you want to grab drinks at Bandits later tonight?" A sheepish smile crept up onto her lips as she waited for his response. Bandit's Bar had been well known to be one of her fathers favorite places to be. If he couldn't be found, you'd likely find him there by happy hour. Reya wasn't a big drinker typically. In fact, she hadn't had a drink for over two years at this point. Today, however, felt like it called for a special occasion. At least to her.

"I just... was thinking that I need to get out for a bit."

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