The bell above the diner door jingled. Officer Jack Pepper stepped inside more out of habit than hunger. The waitress greeted him with a nod before quietly jerking her thumb toward the far end of the counter.
"Hey officer, little girl came in by herself an hour ago."
Jack followed her glance. A young mouse sat on the stool, boots dangling well above the floor. Beside her rested a tiny bindle tied to a stick. She was trying very hard to look older than she was.
Jack recognized her. She was Tammy Tumbler.
He'd been trying to build a clearer picture of her stepfather after neighbors had made more than one complaint. Loud arguments. Things breaking. A frightened child seen outside after dark. Nothing substantial enough yet. Nothing anyone was brave enough to put in writing.
Seeing Tammy here, alone... Safe to say he wasn't surprised. He took the neighboring stool.
"Mind if I borrow this seat?"
The little mouse shrugged without looking at him.
"I'm not bothering anybody."
"I can see that." Jack said while he signaled the waitress. "Two slices of pie. Whatever she wants to drink."
Tammy quickl looked up. "...Why?"
Jack smiled faintly. "Because I want pie."
"You ordered two."
Jack shrugged. "I dont mind company." Tammy studied him for another second before the smallest smile appeared.
"...Okay."
For several minutes they ate without speaking. Jack let the silence do the work, taking an occasional bite while Tammy cautiously worked through her slice of pie. Little by little, the tension in her shoulders eased, and she stopped watching him like she expected a trick. Eventually he asked, almost conversationally, "Headed somewhere?"
"Yeah I'm leaving."
"Forever?"
Tammy nodded. "I packed enough."
Jack glanced at the tiny bindle sitting on the floor. "You think that'll last?"
"I don't need much, it's enough to get where I need to go." She said it with quiet confidence. Like practiced certainty. Jack felt a knot form in his stomach. Children her age weren't supposed to sound practiced at leaving home.
"What made you decide today was the day?"
Tammy poked at the crust of her pie. "The day doesn't really matter...There's just no reason to stay."
Jack chose his next words carefully. "What about family?"
"My mom's gone."
The answer came so quickly it almost sounded rehearsed.
"My stepdad's all that's left."
He looked back at the little mouse beside him and understood something that hadn't been obvious from the reports alone. She wasn't running to someone. She was running to anywhere else.
Jack's eyes lingered on his strawberry soda. Another piece clicked into place. No mother. No grandparents that anyone had mentioned. No relatives who had stepped forward. No one between Tammy and the man he'd been quietly investigating.
"If I stay until bedtime..." she said softly, "...he starts drinking."
The waiter behind the counter had stopped polishing a glass. Neither adult spoke. Tammy seemed oblivious to the silence she'd created, as though she'd simply stated an ordinary fact everyone already knew. She took another large bite out of her slice of pie.
"But I can take care of myself," she continued matter-of-factly. "I'll find work. I know how to fix things. I'll be okay!"
She believed every word. That frightened Jack more than the runaway bag on the floor ever could. No child should have that much faith in having to raise themselves. He finished the last bite of pie and set his fork down.
"Right, kid. Tell you what."
Tammy looked up.
"How about you let me worry about where you're sleeping tonight?"
Tammy narrowed her eyes. "...Am I under arrest?"
Jack couldn't help but smile. "Nah," He offered her his hand. "But I think somebody ought to start looking after you."
Tammy stared at his hand for several long seconds. She'd packed a bag, planned a destination, and convinced herself she'd be fine on her own. This part of the plan though....the part where someone simply offered to help...had never occurred to her.
Based on that painting by Norman Rockwell. I wonder what Tammy's step dad did to get put away for potential years. This Jack is still optimistic about life. But he has a lot to learn...and tolerate, about children.
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