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I was sitting in my living room/music room, the room with the piano, the guitars, the keyboard that used to be at the Cook n' Brooke, the restaurant that my husband, David & I used to own. It had closed exactly three weeks ago, and I was still broken-hearted, and that's why I was sitting in the living room/music room, trying to push the sadness away. I felt extremely empty and lost. The restaurant was a gigundo part of my life, and it was gone. Gone. While it only may be four letters, it is still a big word; very powerful, and it tore me apart to hear it, but I had to face the truth and move on.
THE COOK N' BROOKE WAS GONE.
The more I thought that, the worse I felt, and I broke down crying again, which, knowing me, is not that big of a surprise.
My husband, David, whom I mentioned earlier, was suffering from the sadness too. He loved the restaurant as much as I did. He was in the basement, 'building a dog house' but I know he was not building a dog house, because we do not actually have a dog. He likes to hit stuff with his hammer when he's angry. I, like you can probably tell, cry when I'm sad.
It was almost dinner time and I went downstairs to ask David what he wanted me to make.
"David, what would you like for dinner?" I asked.
"Not hungry," he replied. He glanced in my direction, and saw the redness still in my eyes from crying, "aw, Brooke." He put down his hammer, brushed some sawdust off his chest, and came over to wrap me into a hug. I sobbed on his shoulder.
"I miss it," I cried, "I miss it."
"Me too," he replied, in a whisper. I looked him in the eye. He was crying too, and David rarely cried.
We cried together for quite some time. I was super-duper tired, so I went upstairs to take a nap. I didn't wake til morning, when David was shaking me by the shoulders.
"Brooke!" he exclaimed, "Brooke, wake up!"
"Huh?" I asked, still half-asleep, "what time is it?"
"Ten!" he exclaimed, "but that's not the point!"
"Then what is the point?" I asked, "its not like we have to go to the restaurant. Can't I sleep for another half hour?"
"Brookie, we're getting the restaurant back!" he exclaimed.
I sat up, and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"What?" I asked, "what did you just say?"
"I said we're getting the restaurant back! We have the money now to keep it open! I just got a check from my record company!" he exclaimed.
I couldn't believe it. I didn't know what to say.
"DAVID!" I shouted, "THAT IS AWESOME!"
"It is!" he replied, kissing me.
I was blown away and my emotions had been running on high lately, so I cried hysterical tears of joy. I had never washed my makeup off, so there were black streaks going down my face, but did I care? Did David care?
Nope. Not one bit.
My first thought was that I had to call Eliza, my fourteen-year-old employee who had become my really close friend. She almost felt like my own daughter. I didn't have children of my own.
I grabbed my cell phone off my nightstand and dialed Eliza's number.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Eliza, it's Brooke!" I replied.
She sounded very happy to hear that it was me.
"Brooke!" she exclaimed, "whats up?"
"We're getting the restaurant back!" I cheered.
She screamed.
"You are?" she asked, "Brooke, that's the best news I've heard in a long, long time!"
"Why don't you come over, and we can celebrate!" I asked.
"All right! Be right over!"
We hung up, and on my way to the kitchen, I did my happy 'twirl--whoo!'
Soon, Eliza ran in the door. She hadn't bothered to knock, which I thought was cute. She felt so comfortable just walking in. I happened to be right by the door, so I took her by the hands and we twirled around cheering like we were both eight, but you know, it was fun, and I could honestly say, that for the first time that month, I was the happiest person in the word... along with Eliza. She loved the restaurant as much as David & I did.
And now, since we had it back, we could all go and love that place together.
A few week and a half later, we were open for business again. I had all my same employees, and I recognized return customers too.
It felt like nothing had ever changed.
THE COOK N' BROOKE WAS GONE.
The more I thought that, the worse I felt, and I broke down crying again, which, knowing me, is not that big of a surprise.
My husband, David, whom I mentioned earlier, was suffering from the sadness too. He loved the restaurant as much as I did. He was in the basement, 'building a dog house' but I know he was not building a dog house, because we do not actually have a dog. He likes to hit stuff with his hammer when he's angry. I, like you can probably tell, cry when I'm sad.
It was almost dinner time and I went downstairs to ask David what he wanted me to make.
"David, what would you like for dinner?" I asked.
"Not hungry," he replied. He glanced in my direction, and saw the redness still in my eyes from crying, "aw, Brooke." He put down his hammer, brushed some sawdust off his chest, and came over to wrap me into a hug. I sobbed on his shoulder.
"I miss it," I cried, "I miss it."
"Me too," he replied, in a whisper. I looked him in the eye. He was crying too, and David rarely cried.
We cried together for quite some time. I was super-duper tired, so I went upstairs to take a nap. I didn't wake til morning, when David was shaking me by the shoulders.
"Brooke!" he exclaimed, "Brooke, wake up!"
"Huh?" I asked, still half-asleep, "what time is it?"
"Ten!" he exclaimed, "but that's not the point!"
"Then what is the point?" I asked, "its not like we have to go to the restaurant. Can't I sleep for another half hour?"
"Brookie, we're getting the restaurant back!" he exclaimed.
I sat up, and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"What?" I asked, "what did you just say?"
"I said we're getting the restaurant back! We have the money now to keep it open! I just got a check from my record company!" he exclaimed.
I couldn't believe it. I didn't know what to say.
"DAVID!" I shouted, "THAT IS AWESOME!"
"It is!" he replied, kissing me.
I was blown away and my emotions had been running on high lately, so I cried hysterical tears of joy. I had never washed my makeup off, so there were black streaks going down my face, but did I care? Did David care?
Nope. Not one bit.
My first thought was that I had to call Eliza, my fourteen-year-old employee who had become my really close friend. She almost felt like my own daughter. I didn't have children of my own.
I grabbed my cell phone off my nightstand and dialed Eliza's number.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Eliza, it's Brooke!" I replied.
She sounded very happy to hear that it was me.
"Brooke!" she exclaimed, "whats up?"
"We're getting the restaurant back!" I cheered.
She screamed.
"You are?" she asked, "Brooke, that's the best news I've heard in a long, long time!"
"Why don't you come over, and we can celebrate!" I asked.
"All right! Be right over!"
We hung up, and on my way to the kitchen, I did my happy 'twirl--whoo!'
Soon, Eliza ran in the door. She hadn't bothered to knock, which I thought was cute. She felt so comfortable just walking in. I happened to be right by the door, so I took her by the hands and we twirled around cheering like we were both eight, but you know, it was fun, and I could honestly say, that for the first time that month, I was the happiest person in the word... along with Eliza. She loved the restaurant as much as David & I did.
And now, since we had it back, we could all go and love that place together.
A few week and a half later, we were open for business again. I had all my same employees, and I recognized return customers too.
It felt like nothing had ever changed.
