Anything but Normal - Melody Carlson [20]
“May I help you?” Sophie asked the woman who was next.
“I sure hope so.” The woman sighed and ran her hand over a very rotund midsection. “I want to get home before my kids do, and my back is killing me.”
“Sorry about that.” Sophie couldn’t help but stare at the woman’s large belly.
“Yeah, I’m due any day now.” She leaned her elbows onto the counter. “And my feet are so swollen I can’t even get into my shoes.” She sort of laughed. “Not that a young girl like you cares about any of that.”
Sophie stood up straighter. “So how can I help you?”
“Well, my neighbor just dropped me off, and my car’s supposed to be done by now, but I noticed it’s still up on that rack thing out in the garage. And I’m just hoping that there’s nothing seriously wrong with it. I brought it in for a brake job and—”
“Tell me your name and I’ll go and check on it.”
“Gansky. Tricia Gansky. It’s the red minivan.”
Sophie went into the garage and waited for her dad to finish tightening the last lug nut. He handed her the invoice. “This one’s on the house.”
“So what’s up with that red minivan?” she asked. “Is it ready to go?”
“Not even close. The lady thought she just needed new brake pads, but the drums are shot. I tried to call but got her voice mail.”
“So what do I tell her?”
He rubbed his chin. “Better let me explain this one. Why don’t you send her out here?”
Sophie frowned at the greasy floor. “She’s really huge pregnant, Dad. You wouldn’t want her to slip or anything.”
He nodded. “Good thinking. Tell her I’ll meet her in the waiting area.”
Sophie returned and gave the woman a halfhearted smile. “My dad wants to talk to you over there.” She nodded to the chairs. “Why don’t you put your feet up?”
The woman looked worried. “Sounds expensive.”
Sophie just shrugged. “I really don’t know.” She looked to the next customer, an old guy wearing a Dodgers cap. “Next.”
He took his time telling her his name and about how he’d just gotten these brand-new tires less than a month ago and this morning he had a flat. “They just don’t make tires like they used to,” he continued. “But everything’s like that. Instead of getting better, things just get worse. I don’t understand it.”
She handed him the invoice, and he peered at it.
“I don’t see the amount.”
“It’s free.” She handed him the keys.
He looked surprised. “Well now.”
She pointed to her dad’s writing in the description column. “And it looks like you better check your driveway for nails since that seems to be what flattened your tire.”
He smiled sheepishly. “Oh, I was doing a little woodworking project out there the other day. That must’ve been the problem. Well, thank you very much, young lady.” He tipped his cap and left.
Sophie glanced over to where her dad was using his hands to explain something to the pregnant woman. Not that it was helping since she was crying and clearly not getting a word he was saying. Finally her dad glanced her way and nodded at her like he wanted her to come over.
“Why don’t you get Mrs. Gansky some water, Sophie.” He stood and quickly exited into the garage. Her dad had never liked being around women’s emotions. He didn’t know how to deal with them.
“Here you go.” Sophie handed the woman a chilled water bottle and a couple of Kleenexes.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do.” The woman wiped her eyes. “I only had enough credit on my card to cover a basic brake job. And now I have to replace the whole works and it’s more than three times as much.”
“Sorry.” Sophie didn’t know what else to say.
“And my husband—he got laid off last spring, and we—we don’t even have medical insurance.” She was sobbing again. “And we’ve—we’ve got doctor bills and we’ll have hospital bills and now—now this.” She loudly blew her nose. “I don’t know what we’ll do and—”
“Anyone working this counter here?” a middle-aged man called out.
“I’m coming.” Sophie patted the woman’s shoulder. “I’m sure it looks worse than it is.”
The woman looked up with sad eyes. “You’re so lucky to be young and free. Sometimes I’d do anything to just turn back the clock.”
Sophie nodded. She