I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE OC'S.

I was washing a load of dishes that were in the sink from the last few customers along with the things that needs to be cleaned from fulfilling such orders when Mr. Mizanin came in with more plates and cups that needed to be washed.

"Got a few more for you." He said as he set them onto the counter next to the sink where the other dirty dishes were.

"Thanks…I haven't went through the receipts and cash." I said looking over at him.

"Don't worry about it, I'll handle that if you do the inventory…I got a date with the misses."

"Aw, how sweet." I said smirking.

"She doesn't know yet." He said making his smile wider.

"She would love it, I'm sure." I said smiling more.

"You won't mind locking up?"

"Not at all."

"Thanks Lola." He said as I shook off water from the plate before putting it on the dry rack, I loved my job at this deli and I have gotten to know a lot of the regular customers by name. Mr. Mizanin was one of the best bosses I have ever had and he is proud of this shop, but didn't know if he is prouder of the shop or his son that I had barely got to know since he was two years older than I, I remember seeing him as I was a new freshman and he was the popular Junior. I focused on washing and drying the dishes that were needed to be washed for the next day services, I was drying the last dish when Mr. Mizanin joined me in the kitchen once again. "I'm heading out, I'm going to be a little late tomorrow because I have to go to the bank with the money, can you open?" He asked pulling his coat on to bundle for the cold outside.

"No problem at all, I'll take the trash out as well…you know you can always count on me sir." I said as I know I have had to step up my game to earn his trust considering I was the only employee Mr. Mizanin had besides the occasions that Mrs. Mizanin or selected high school students during the summer months since that is the busiest months but I have gained his trust and I have worked for him since I graduated high school and have been taking online classes to get my business degree to own my own business like Mr. Mizanin. I always wondered why his son, Mike, didn't want to stay here and help his dad and step mom with their business, he was set to own his dads company and this deli shop had been doing pretty well for itself. Now Mike is this big WWE superstar, barely have I ever seen him stop by and offer to help or try to put himself associated with here, to me it seems the moment he graduated he never looked back and he seems too cocky, self-absorbed and not one of the people that would be my favorites with the things he has done. I put all the dishes back properly before I pulled out the leftover food that won't be good for tomorrow's use. I threw out some and some I put in a doggy bag to take home for dinner before I started the inventory process making notes of what I needed to order tomorrow before Mr. Mizanin came in and I put it in a safe spot before I collected all the trash taking it out back tossing them into the dumpster going back inside putting new bags into the cans and putting them back to the proper spots before I gathered my things clocking out as late as I did the night before as I begun turning lights off and making sure all the machinery was off before I locked the front door before grabbing the food I set aside for myself heading out the back door locking that behind me as I went to my car driving the distance to my apartment complex and up to my apartment to eat my dinner before doing a few things before I had to get some sleep to be up at 6 to get ready for another day at the deli shop. I did what I needed to do before I zonked out waking to my alarm, showering and gathered my things for work, I drove to work stopping to grab some coffee to help me for this early morning. I got to the shop unlocking the back door letting myself in getting things turned on and begun preparing things for the days crowds as bread was being made and I called the local businesses making orders for items we needed more of before I counted the day's cash that Mr. Mizanin had left in there the night before for the business today, I begun doing other rituals before I unlocked the front door at 8 AM for the usual breakfast customers, sometimes we had a few strangers that would come in that were not usual customers. I knew that Mr. Mizanin was to be late because he had to go to the bank and as more time passed I came more worried and his customers that wanted catering this weekend for a weeding came in at 11:30, he was still nowhere to be found. "Mr. Mizanin isn't here at the moment, but he should be here shortly. Why don't you find an empty table, I'll put on a new pot of coffee and finish with the rest of the orders and I'll join you to get the ball rolling?" I said.

"No problem." The father said as I kept an eye on where they had sat to point them out to Mr. Mizanin when he arrived. I finished dealing with the customers and their orders, I took them to the proper tables before I went back behind the counter worried about Mr. Mizanin because this was so unlike him. I picked up the phone dialing his house number to get no answer which was weird because Mrs. Mizanin was home 98% of the time, I didn't know her cell number by heart so I pulled out my cell calling Mr. Mizanin first to get voicemail leaving a message for him to call me back so I decided to call Mrs. Mizanin and finally got an answer.

"Thank God you called Lola, I was about to call you." She said as I could tell she was in a distress.

"Mrs. Mizanin, what's wrong?" I asked knowing something was wrong.

"My husband had a heart attack." She said as I could tell she had burst into tears for the however many times she has cried, my stomach had dropped and felt like I had been punched in the stomach.

"Oh God, is he okay?" I asked worried and concerned.

"He is in surgery right now."

"I'll be right there Mrs. Mizanin."

"No Lola, you don't-" She said as I had to interrupt her.

"It's fine, I'll close early and I'll be there as soon as possible. Does Mike know?" I asked knowing her step son needed to know about his dad and I was willing to call the man.

"Yes, he said he was on the next flight out, he should be here soon." She said.

"I'll come be with you until he gets here." I said wanting to be there because they were like a second family to me, they took me in and had always been there for me so I naturally would want to be there for them.

"Thanks Lola."

"Don't thank me, I'll be there soon." I said hanging up putting my phone in my pocket turning to the customers that were enjoying their meals but I knew I had to do this. "Will everyone please listen up." I said loudly to get everyone's attention, "The shop is closing early, so when you finish please clear your table and exit the facility." I said as nicely as I could.

"Why Lola?" Ms. Carter had asked.

"Mr. Mizanin has suffered a heart attack and I need to be there for him in this time of need." I explained.

"Oh poor guy." Ms. Carter said as she got up grabbing her things to leave as I begun cleaning things like I normally would but more in a rush forgetting about those here for that wedding.

"Shall we reschedule?" The father asked getting me to turn around to see the family of three there.

"Yes, I'm so sorry this has happened. What about tomorrow?" I asked.

"You didn't know this was to happen, please give him our prayers. We will be here tomorrow and this isn't as important as ones live." The mother said.

"Thank you for understanding and I promise you that it'll be great no matter what." I said confidently as they nodded knowing they can come in tomorrow to do this meeting as I went back to what I was doing before I locked the door after the last person left. I didn't care much about cleaning the tables or wiping them down. I made sure everything was turned off before I left hurriedly heading to the local hospital to keep Mrs. Mizanin company. I found the closest spot I could find heading straight to the lobby and went through security.

"Lola!" Mrs. Mizanin said waving me over to the side of the waiting room heading that way pulling her into a hug by the looks of it she had already been crying at least a handful of times.

"How is he?" I asked.

"He is still in surgery, they said it'll take a little while and I haven't heard anything in a half hour." She said as she sat down.

"You need to talk to someone, have you called Mike to see if he has gotten a flight?" I asked knowing I may have to go get him at the airport.

"Yeah, he went-" She began to say when I saw Mike step around the corner being behind her seat

"To get coffee, here Claire, it's just the way you like it." Mike said.

"Thanks Mike, have you met-" Mrs. Mizanin said as I looked up to Mike who walked around the row of chairs standing besides mine sticking his hand out.

"Lola." He said smirking as I shook his hand.

"We've met before." I said.

"No introductions are needed then." Mrs. Mizanin said sipping her coffee.

"You want some coffee?" Mike asked as he sat on the arm of the chair that Mrs. Mizanin sat in.

"I'm good, thanks though." I said as we sat there, I honestly didn't know what to say as I zoned out staring at a spot on the ground until a doctor came out calling Mrs. Mizanin's name, all three of us jumped up walking to the doctor to hear the news that he made it through the surgery and he had no more blockage and that we may now go up to visit. "I'm going to the gift store, I'll be up shortly." I explained wanting to get Mr. Mizanin something.

"I'm going with her, give you and my dad some alone time." Mike said, 'Oh great, I got to spend alone time with this goon.' I thought as Mrs. Mizanin nodded as we watched the doctor lead her to an elevator, surprised she hadn't broken down yet again as I turned on my heels heading to the gift shop, "Hey, wait up!" Mike exclaimed after me as I slowed down my pace allowing him to catch up. "I'm assuming you shut the shop down early."

"Your assumption would be right." I said as I turned into the gift shop.

"You must like my dad." Mike said as he picked up some random plush looking at it then set it back down as I made my way through the store to the cards, it was sad I know the hospital and gift shop layout by heart.

"He hasn't treated me wrong…unlike some people." I said glancing over my shoulder at him when I cut through a few racks to get to the greeting cards looking over the variety before I picked one up to read.

"Someone has skeletons in their closet." Mike said as he grabbed one reading it chuckling, "This one is good." He said shaking it after he closed it.

"Then why don't you get it?" I asked as I turned around heading towards the counter to purchase the card seeing a coffee cup with a bear attached to it with flowers as well.

"That isn't manly…my dad won't like it." Mike said as he stepped behind me before he pulled out a shirt, "These gift stores sell the most ridiculous things." He said laughing.

"But your laughing about it." I said as I approached the counter purchasing the card and a thing of trail mix since I had ate nothing all day, I never ate breakfast but I would have lunch by now.

"I like that same kind of trail mix, but I'm not a big almond fan." Mike said.

"Me neither." I said as I swiped my credit card entering my pin before I got handed a receipt stepping aside, "Do you have a pen I may borrow?" I asked politely.

"You don't carry a pen in that purse?" Mike asked nodding to my purse I had.

"No, it's not a must for me to carry in my purse." I said as I was handed a pen signing the card and addressing it as he purchased the exact same thing I had and I handed him the pen to use but I found myself waiting for him even if my mind was telling me to go without him. "Are you going to get in trouble for being here?" I asked as we walked out of the gift shop.

"Why would I get in trouble?"

"Well aren't you the 'must see' superstar WWE has and have to be just that?" I asked.

"I want to be here for my dad and I already let my boss know." Mike said as he ripped his bag of trail mix open.

"How much do you travel?" I asked as we got in line behind someone at the security desk to get a pass.

"4-5 days a week, it's more hectic then it sounds."

"I'm sure it is." I said sarcastically as we stepped up to the security desk.

"IDs." He said as I shuffled through my purse finding my wallet giving him my ID.

"We are here for Mr. Mizanin." I said.

"Are you related to him ma'am? You don't have the same last name nor are you on the list." He stated, I was okay with that because I wasn't family and knew that he needed to be with them more than me.

"She is his step-daughter, he probably didn't think she'll be here since she flew all the way from Canada." Mike lied putting his arm around me looking at his hand disgustingly then up to him, "Plus with the anesthesia you know how that makes people." Mike added.

"I'll put you in, he is in 327 bed A." Security guard said printing out two passes

"Thank you." I said as I put the pass on walking with Mike and climbed onto the elevator.

"No problem, we have to do that kind of stuff all the time on the road." Mike said as he dropped some of the trail mix into his mouth as he leant his head back as he did so.

"Do you have manners on the road?" I asked grossed out.

"What do you mean?" He asked with his mouth full.

"You just answered my own question." I said climbing off the elevator when it allowed me to.