The Resolution

"Happy new year.” He looked up at me with a quizzical look.

    “Happy new year,” he responded. Then after eying me up and down for a moment, he added, “Do you know me?” 

    “Uh, kind of?” I said. “I see you… I mean, you come into the diner every new year’s eve.”

“Huh, I guess I do.” He cocked his head, replaying all the times he stepped foot into the 24-hour diner where I work as a waitress for the past three years, sitting at the same booth, ordering the same meals, and only eating one of them. He usually gives the other meal to me. It’s my favorite: a plain cheeseburger with banana peppers and chili fries with extra onions. Though, I don’t recall ever letting him know that I liked having my cheeseburgers and chili fries that way. I usually ate the meal in the kitchen after he left. I know Shep, the cook, and can trust that the regular didn’t do anything wrong with it. 

“Happy new year,” I said again, willing to do anything to fill the void. I picked up the check with the correct amount owed that he left on the table.

“Happy new year.” He left the restaurant without looking back.

~ ~ ~ 

“Looks like he isn’t coming in this year,” Maribel, my friend and coworker, said.

“There’s still a couple of hours before midnight,” I said back. “He could be on his way here.”

“Why? Is that something you want?” Maribel looked at me. “Because if I’m being honest with you, he’s not quite boyfriend material.”

“Stop it,” I said. “I don’t want him as my boyfriend.”

“Then why do you want him to come in?”

“It’s… it’s…” Do I tell her? No, she’ll think I’m crazy.

“What?”

“It feels nice to see him,” I said. It was ten at night. The diner was empty as most people’s holiday plans didn’t include eating at the local diner. I wasn’t scheduled to work a double shift, but then I had to cover for the other waitress as she encountered a family emergency. 

“Why?” Maribel asked again. “It’s not like you two talk all that much right? He orders the same thing and you bring it out.”

“Yes, he’s a bit on the quiet side,” I admitted. “But we made some progress last year. He told me happy new year.”

“It’s new year’s eve,” Maribel said. “That’s what you’re supposed to say. Besides, you were the one to initiate the conversation, not him.”

“He’ll be here,” I insisted again. I couldn’t explain to Maribel why I wanted to see him. Why I felt a connection to him, even though we only ever saw each other on new year’s eve at this diner.

“Well, at least you know someone who’s not going to leave you alone this year,” Maribel said. “Or any other year.”

“Thanks.” I smiled at her. “It means a lot to have you as a friend.”

“I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.” Maribel gave me a hug. 

The soft ringing of a bell broke us apart. It was him.

He gave us a quick glance and sat at his usual booth.

“What a new year’s miracle,” Maribel whispered into my ear. I went to him to take his order. I didn’t need to, but it was part of our little new year’s eve dance.

“Welcome. What can I get you tonight?” I asked him, pen posed over the pad of paper.

“Actually, all I really want is to talk to you.” He looked at me with bright blue eyes.

“You want to talk to me?” It was the first time he had directly addressed me with something other than food.

“Yes,” he said. “Please.”

“My break is in five minutes. In the meantime, why don’t I send in your usual and get you  a mug of hot chocolate?”

“Sounds nice,” he grumbled. Back in the kitchen, I told Maribel what he told me.

“You’re actually going to do it?” She asked.

“Why not? He’s harmless. Besides, I get the feeling that he wants to tell me something… something important.”

“Like what?”

“I’ll find out in a couple of minutes.” I grabbed the mug of hot chocolate. 

“I’ve got your back!” Maribel said before she put in the order of pancakes and cheeseburger.

“Here you are. And here I am.” I sat across from him at the booth.

“Ah, thank you.” He took a sip of the hot chocolate. “Didn’t get yourself one?”

“I’m good. For now.”

“I hope you get a cup. It’s good.” We sat in silence as he sipped his hot chocolate and waited for the rest of his meal to arrive.

“Happy new year.” I couldn’t take the silence and anticipation anymore. “Got any new year’s resolutions?”

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s actually been the same one for a few years now.”

“Oh? Want to talk about it?”

“Yeah, I do.” He looked back at me with his blue eyes. “My name is Reid Harrison.”

“Nice to finally know your name Mr. Harrison,” I said. “Funny how after all these years, I didn’t know your name.”

“It’s Reid, please,” Reid said. “I’ve always wanted you to know.”

“Okay, Reid. What’s this mysterious new year’s resolution you have?” I folded my hands on the table, ready to listen to whatever it was he wanted to talk about. It felt nice talking to him.

“To get to know you,” Reid said. “It’s why I started coming into the diner. I tell myself to just do it, you know? I always seem to chicken out during the year though. New Year’s Eve is my last chance to just cross it off the list. Although I’ve never made it that far.”

“Until this year,” I said. “Why, Reid? Why do you want to know me?”

“It’s… it’s nothing creepy, I promise,” Reid said. “It’s just… It’s just that I… I received a letter. From your mother.”

“My mother?” I cocked my head. “My mother’s been gone now for a couple of years. How did you…”

“She must have written it and sent it before… before she passed,” Reid said. “I was devastated to learn about her passing. Truly. Your mother was a remarkable woman.”

“You knew her?” What was going on? How did this random man know my mother? Why would she write a letter to him before she died?

“I did,” Reid nodded. “We were in college, in the same calculus class. We got along great. Actually more than great. Unfortunately things turned pretty bad for me before graduation. I lost touch with your mom and the rest of my college friends. I didn’t hear from any of them until your mother’s letter.”

“Reid, are you…” I couldn’t finish my question. Could it be…

“I was in total shock,” Reid said. “I don’t know how she found me, but she did. You know how resilient your mother was. When I read your mother’s letter telling me all about you. Your life growing up and who you are. I just knew… I knew I wanted to meet you. To get to know you. It’s what she would have wanted too.”

“I can’t believe this.” Tears formed in my eyes. “I can’t believe you’re actually here.” All that time wondering who my father was, asking my mother about him and only getting vague responses. I had given up on finding the man who was supposed to be my father. But he had found me.

“I am here, finally,” he said. “I’m sorry I didn’t have the courage before to do it. I just… I just didn’t know whether or not you wanted to meet me. I got scared. I almost gave up on my new year’s resolution tonight. But deep down, I knew I had to give it a shot. I couldn’t… I couldn’t do it anymore.”

“Thank you.” I gave Reid, my father, a huge hug. “Thank you for making that resolution and going through with it.”

“You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that.” Reid squeezed me a bit harder.

“Everything okay?” Maribel came over to us with the pancakes and cheeseburger.

“Yeah, everything’s perfect.” I let go of Reid. “Maribel, this is Reid Harrison. He’s my father.”

“You’re her father?” Maribel asked, wrapping the news around her head.

“I am. I am very proud to be her father.” Reid puffed out his chest.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Maribel said. She then excused herself, leaving Reid and I alone once more.

“I think we should have a new new year’s tradition,” I said before diving into the cheeseburger.

“What?” Reid looked at me.

“We will have dinner together, at this diner, every new year’s eve,” I said. “It’ll be my new year’s resolution to make it happen.”