After dropping off Julianna with her mom first thing out, Aaron stood there.
The frame was familiar, but the picture was rearranged. For the most part, No Names’ was left with debris and equipment scattered about. Some completely ruined by the water. However, on the right, the wall had been completely uprooted, taking the chunk of the ceiling attached to it, but as they say...
The sun always shines after the storm.
The cool breeze swept across his skin, and the smell of freshly cut grass was in the air. Yet, even that scent came from a place of distress. It’s how he should’ve felt. Running on no sleep, it had been a long night at the hospital because of his dad, but he didn’t know how to feel this. It could’ve been the last straw, yet somehow it seemed minuscule after the whirlwind of emotions hours ago. It put some things into perspective. It was either that, or...he needed some sleep.
Either way, if there was anything his military days taught him, it was the art of conflict resolution, and this was a situation he had some control of.
First things first, he started by recording the damage. When that was done, he phoned in a few of his employees to help out if they weren’t dealing with their own worries, and in one of those phone calls, he reached out to Aurora. She wasn’t an employee of his, but he made it a routine at No Names for her to bring baked goods and coffee from Mama Kay’s once a week for his staff. In return, he’d give her a discount on her membership. He first checked in with her to see if they were even open before ordering for everyone. He, especially, needed coffee, so he asked her to bring in the strongest caffeinated drink they had to offer.
Only about three others were in the gym cleaning by the time she made it, and Aaron couldn’t have been more relieved to see her. Slumping down on one of the boxing ring steps, he slouched against the corner. "You’re a lifesaver...Feel free to set it—” he went to pat the canvas of the ring right beside him, feeling too lazy to finish that sentence. It was the closest thing they had to a table at the moment. "...How was the drive here?"