Chapter 10 - Dawn Over Turner’s Diner
Friday morning arrived with a sharp, crisp autumn breeze sweeping down from the mountains, painting the sky in brilliant shades of amber, gold, and violet.
At 5:00 a.m., the brass bell above the front door of Turner’s Family Diner chimed.
My mother unlocked the door, flipped the OPEN sign to face the street, and flicked on the neon coffee maker behind the counter.
I sat in the corner booth—my favorite spot—sipping a black coffee and reviewing my final deployment orders back to Fort Bragg. My duffel bag was packed and sitting in the back of the pickup truck outside.
The bell chimed again.
Kayla walked in, wearing her gray apron, smiling brightly as she tied it around her waist. “Morning, Evelyn. Morning, Colonel,” she called out cheerfully.
“Morning, sweetheart,” my mother replied, sliding a fresh mug across the counter.
I looked around the room. The chrome tables gleamed under the morning lights. The red vinyl booths were repaired and spotless. The stained apron hanging on the back wall still looked like Ohio, and it still had plenty of good years left in it.
My phone buzzed on the table. It was a secure text message from General Vance: Transport is at the edge of town, Colonel. Whenever you’re ready.
I locked my phone, slid it into my pocket, and took one final sip of my coffee.
My mother walked over from behind the counter, sat down in the booth opposite me, and reached across the table to take my hand. Her grip was strong, warm, and entirely steady.
“You’ll come back for Thanksgiving?” she asked.
“Try and stop me,” I smiled. “I wouldn't miss your pumpkin pie for the world.”
She squeezed my hand, then looked toward the door as the first regular of the morning—old Mr. Jenkins—pushed open the door, stamping the morning frost off his boots and smiling into the warmth of the room.
May you like
My mother stood up to greet him, knowing every order, pouring every cup, and owning every inch of the ground she stood on.
I stood up, grabbed my duffel bag, and walked out into the crisp North Carolina dawn, knowing that the storms had finally passed, and the diner was safe at last.
