Crazy Beginnings and Happy Endings
eighty-eight
"Let's go to Sid's first," Max said as we climbed into my mini. "I think he'll need this amazing cake the most."
"Whatever you want," I said, starting the car and pulling out of the driveway. I turned the car towards Sidney's house and drove in silence.
When we got there, Max was out of the car in the blink of an eye. He stood beside the car, waiting patiently for me to get out and follow him.
When Sidney answered, it was obvious he was taking the loss very hard.
"Hey," I said, giving him a small smile. I took a step forward and gave him a hug.
"Hey," Sidney said, moving away from the doorway to let Max and I in.
"You know, I've never been inside your house," I said, slipping my shoes off and looking around the foyer. "I really like it."
"Thanks," Sidney said, a small smile forming on his lips and then quickly disappearing.
"We brought cake," Max smiled, handing Sidney the piece of cake.
"Uh, thanks," Sidney said, taking the cake from Max.
"You should eat it now, while it's fresh," Max said. "Food always tastes better when it's fresh."
"Right," Sidney gave Max a funny look and walked off towards his kitchen.
"Stay here," I said to Max. "I'll go talk to him."
I followed Sidney to the kitchen, to find him grabbing a fork. He looked at me. "How is he so happy?"
"Truthfully, I haven't the slightest idea," I told Sidney. "When I came home after work, I found him sitting on the couch with his head in his hands and tears stains on his face. He was devastated, but he said that some of the other guys were worse off."
"Like me?" Sidney inquired before taking a bite of the cake.
"Like you," I nodded. "And Letang and Marc-Andre."
"You know, I can see why Max is so happy," Sidney said, taking a second bite of cake.
"Why is that?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.
"One, this cake is amazing, I don't know how it couldn't cheer someone up," Sidney said, giving me a smile. "And second, you're a great person to talk to."
"Thank-you," I said, returning the smile. "But I don't know about being a great person to talk to. The thing is, I'm just here if people need me."
"That's just it," Sidney said. "You don't try to pry. It's like your presence says 'I'm here if you want to talk about it', but you know better than to try to get people to talk about whatever."
"I guess so," I shrugged. "I just want the people I care about to be alright."
"The world could use more people like you," Sidney said, finishing off the cake.
"Like me?" I gave him a funny look. "Do you mean chefs or people who care or caring chefs?"
"You know what I mean," Sidney smiled and rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the cake and thanks for stopping by with Max."
"No problem," I said. "Anything I can do to help you boys out. After all you guys have done for me, I owe the whole lot of you."
"I doubt that," Sidney said. He headed for the kitchen door. "Come on, I feel bad for ditching Max in my living room."
I followed Sidney into the living room to find Max sitting on the couch watching some movie. I sat down beside him.
"How was that cake?" Max asked.
"It was pretty amazing," Sidney said. "You're one lucky man, there Talbot."
"Don't I know it," Max smiled, kissing my temple.
"You two are so full of it," I chuckled, shaking my head.
"Not really," Max said. "You're a very amazing person, Brylyn, I mean it. Any guy would be lucky to have you."
"What Max said is true," Sidney assured me.
"Aww, thanks boys," I smiled and then I looked at Max. "Do you want to head out?"
"Sure," Max nodded. "Let's hit Geno's next."
"Ok," I said, getting up and walking up to Sidney. "If you need anything, just give me a call. Even if you want another piece of cake."
"Ok," Sidney nodded, pulling me in for a quick hug. "And thanks again."
"Like I said before, it's no problem," I said before turning and following Max out to my car.
"How did you get him to be all cheery?" Max asked as I pulled away from the house and drove in the direction of Geno's.
"I didn't do anything," I said. "Just like when you were in rough shape earlier, I didn't do anything and now look at you. You're the happy-go-lucky person you usually are."
"I get it," Max said.
"Do you?" I glanced at him. "Cause I sure don't."
"It's your presence," Max said.
"Sure," I said, frowning a bit. I couldn't help but try to figure out what Max meant as I drove to Geno's place.
"Whatever you want," I said, starting the car and pulling out of the driveway. I turned the car towards Sidney's house and drove in silence.
When we got there, Max was out of the car in the blink of an eye. He stood beside the car, waiting patiently for me to get out and follow him.
When Sidney answered, it was obvious he was taking the loss very hard.
"Hey," I said, giving him a small smile. I took a step forward and gave him a hug.
"Hey," Sidney said, moving away from the doorway to let Max and I in.
"You know, I've never been inside your house," I said, slipping my shoes off and looking around the foyer. "I really like it."
"Thanks," Sidney said, a small smile forming on his lips and then quickly disappearing.
"We brought cake," Max smiled, handing Sidney the piece of cake.
"Uh, thanks," Sidney said, taking the cake from Max.
"You should eat it now, while it's fresh," Max said. "Food always tastes better when it's fresh."
"Right," Sidney gave Max a funny look and walked off towards his kitchen.
"Stay here," I said to Max. "I'll go talk to him."
I followed Sidney to the kitchen, to find him grabbing a fork. He looked at me. "How is he so happy?"
"Truthfully, I haven't the slightest idea," I told Sidney. "When I came home after work, I found him sitting on the couch with his head in his hands and tears stains on his face. He was devastated, but he said that some of the other guys were worse off."
"Like me?" Sidney inquired before taking a bite of the cake.
"Like you," I nodded. "And Letang and Marc-Andre."
"You know, I can see why Max is so happy," Sidney said, taking a second bite of cake.
"Why is that?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.
"One, this cake is amazing, I don't know how it couldn't cheer someone up," Sidney said, giving me a smile. "And second, you're a great person to talk to."
"Thank-you," I said, returning the smile. "But I don't know about being a great person to talk to. The thing is, I'm just here if people need me."
"That's just it," Sidney said. "You don't try to pry. It's like your presence says 'I'm here if you want to talk about it', but you know better than to try to get people to talk about whatever."
"I guess so," I shrugged. "I just want the people I care about to be alright."
"The world could use more people like you," Sidney said, finishing off the cake.
"Like me?" I gave him a funny look. "Do you mean chefs or people who care or caring chefs?"
"You know what I mean," Sidney smiled and rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the cake and thanks for stopping by with Max."
"No problem," I said. "Anything I can do to help you boys out. After all you guys have done for me, I owe the whole lot of you."
"I doubt that," Sidney said. He headed for the kitchen door. "Come on, I feel bad for ditching Max in my living room."
I followed Sidney into the living room to find Max sitting on the couch watching some movie. I sat down beside him.
"How was that cake?" Max asked.
"It was pretty amazing," Sidney said. "You're one lucky man, there Talbot."
"Don't I know it," Max smiled, kissing my temple.
"You two are so full of it," I chuckled, shaking my head.
"Not really," Max said. "You're a very amazing person, Brylyn, I mean it. Any guy would be lucky to have you."
"What Max said is true," Sidney assured me.
"Aww, thanks boys," I smiled and then I looked at Max. "Do you want to head out?"
"Sure," Max nodded. "Let's hit Geno's next."
"Ok," I said, getting up and walking up to Sidney. "If you need anything, just give me a call. Even if you want another piece of cake."
"Ok," Sidney nodded, pulling me in for a quick hug. "And thanks again."
"Like I said before, it's no problem," I said before turning and following Max out to my car.
"How did you get him to be all cheery?" Max asked as I pulled away from the house and drove in the direction of Geno's.
"I didn't do anything," I said. "Just like when you were in rough shape earlier, I didn't do anything and now look at you. You're the happy-go-lucky person you usually are."
"I get it," Max said.
"Do you?" I glanced at him. "Cause I sure don't."
"It's your presence," Max said.
"Sure," I said, frowning a bit. I couldn't help but try to figure out what Max meant as I drove to Geno's place.