The New Waitress

What is the meaning of a family?

Everyone has their own definition. However, for Ava, the family was the only idiot who deserved to be forgiven. That was what she had been doing until a few days ago. She desperately wanted to forgive his father's greed and forgive the old man's stupidity.

However, Andrew repeated the same mistake ... again. Not really the same because this time he stole Ava's account password and used all of her daughter's money to gamble just because he remembered that his grandfather used to be rich due to gambling.

Andrew lost and owed a huge debt back to Seth. Again. He had nothing left, forcing him to run away, leaving his daughter.

Ava didn't know whether she could still forgive Andrew's mistakes or not. Yet, right now, here she stood, under the NYC sky, fulfilling Andrew's last wish because she had no other choice.

The twenty-year-old girl didn't know what she could do with the hundred dollars left in her hand. How would she survive?

Without realizing it, Ava was standing in front of a restaurant. With her high school diploma, she could only apply as a waitress. However, it turned out it was not that easy. Even becoming a waitress would be very difficult because the restaurant was not currently accepting employees.

"Please, let me meet the owner of this restaurant," Ava pleaded with the restaurant manager.

"I told you, we are not hiring employees. Go somewhere else," the restaurant manager snapped.

One restaurant after another refused Ava who arrived with a large suitcase. They knew that she must be a bum who would only be a problem working with them.

Finally, Ava stopped at a bakery cafe that opened up a job vacancy as a waitress. With sore feet and blisters from walking a lot, she hardly stepped into the shop. Immediately, she was warmly welcomed by a shopkeeper.

"Welcome to—"

The dark-skinned shop assistant greeting Ava stopped without finishing her greeting. Her brown eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. If this were an animated film, her dark hair, neatly curled up, would also stand up all over as if it had been electrocuted.

"Pa—Pau—?"

The shop assistant stared at Ava with trembling lips. Ava was of course confused.

"Is the job vacancy still available?" Ava asked matter-of-factly.

A moment later, the shop assistant realized that she was dealing with someone else. Not someone she knew.

"Ah, you can go see the manager. Please go to the room over there," answered the waitress kindly. She then changed her mind when she realized that she was not busy with a customer. "Please … uhm … follow me."

The waitress asked Ava to wait a moment. She went into the manager's office.

"Monica, you won't believe me," squealed the waitress enthusiastically. "I thought she was Paula."

"Who?" The manager asked her in shock.

The waitress showed her the blonde girl who was waiting outside.

"Impossible! Paula is dead and she doesn't have a twin, does she?" objected Monica annoyed.

The waitress nodded. "Even Paula's damn sister doesn't look like her either."

"Ssstt, don't let your voice come out, Cassy! Remember, Robert is still in a coma. No one will be able to help if Amanda fires you," Monica warned.

Paula's father, Robert, was still unconscious after an accident happened to him, not long after the plane crash that befell Paula. Several family business matters were now in Amanda's hands because she managed to remarry her ex-husband just before the accident.

"She can't fire me because William owns all of Paula's company," argued the waitress.

"Don't forget that Amanda took over all of Robert's powers. She has her influence here," Monica insisted. Being careful is still better. "That's enough. Bring the girl here," Monica ordered.

The waitress immediately opened the door and let Ava in. As expected, Monica was dumbfounded when she saw Ava. Her face was different. However, her stature and blonde hair reminded her of Paula's.

Monica cleared her throat, then motioned her hand, letting Ava sit down. Ava could only hand her ID card to Monica.

"I'll email my resume if you'd like," Ava politely requested.

Of course, Monica agreed. She was deeply impressed by Ava's composure who remained calm even when she looked unprepared.

"I don't want to be rude, but I need to know that … are you … homeless?" Monica asked.

Hearing her flaws mentioned, Ava gasped, then nodded. "Umm … I'm willing to give you half of my monthly payment as long as I'm allowed to stay here."

Monica sighed. From the resume, she judged that Ava, who used to be a well-to-do child, didn't look like a criminal. However, she could not freely recruit an employee with special conditions.

"Ava, I'm so sorry because I can't possibly decide about your problem myself. I have to talk with the owner because this is a very important matter. I'll call you back if—"

"You can stay with me first if you want," said the waitress, taking Ava and Monica by surprise.

Monica immediately pulled the waitress away and whispered, "Cassy, are you sure about what you're doing?"

"Of course!"

"But she's a stranger!" she argued.

"She's not a bad person, Monica! Let her be with me and I will take full responsibility for my decision."

Monica gave up. She let go of Cassy and asked Ava to start working tomorrow morning. "This is your uniform. Cassy will help guide your work," said Monica.

Cassy, the kind-hearted waitress then took Ava out of Monica's room. She took Ava's hand to make her walk faster. Arriving at a row of lockers, Cassy asked Ava to put her suitcase there.

"Thank you very much! If it weren't for you, I would still be walking aimlessly," said Ava, smiling sincerely at her interlocutor.

"Remove all formalities and call me Cassy!" Cassy answered quickly, baring rows of white teeth. Her heart was happy because she could help the poor girl.

***

On the other side of town, a five-year-old boy was sobbing in his dark room. He was hugging a photo of his mother muttering, "Mom, I miss you …."