Ricky: Are you working Friday?
Big Red: No, why?
Ricky: You're coming with me to a party my friend is hosting.
Big Red: No, thank you.
Ricky: Please. You've barely left the house in months for anything but work. It's been five months since the accident. I'm not asking you to find the next love of your life. You deserve to be happy and not live your life on pause.
Big Red: I will think about it.
Big Red exited his private chat with Ricky. He noticed that the group chat was exploding.
Kourtney: I just got the call. They want me to play Elle Woods.
Nini: Congratulations! I told you they wouldn't notice your mistake. You're going to crush it as Elle.
Carlos: This is huge! You're going to have to tell us when your opening night is.
Big Red: Congrats, Kourt.
Kourtney: I'm crying.
Big Red stepped out of the breakroom. The bell on the door chimed, revealing customer number one. It was a young woman and a little girl. The woman looked like she was around Big Red's age. The two girls approached the cash register as Big Red got into position. Big Red guessed the little girl was the sister of the older woman.
"Hi," Big Red greeted. "What can I get you today?"
"We'll take one cheese pizza," the older woman ordered. "I'll also take a small sprite and a large Coca-Cola."
"I can do that," Big Red responded. "You're total will be twenty-two dollars."
The woman handed him her debit card, and Big Red swiped it through the machine. He spotted something in the younger girl's arms. She was cuddling a stuffed dog close to her chest. It looked identical to the one Ashlyn had. The one E.J left at her graveside.
Big Red shrugged it off. There are probably billions of stuffed dogs that look identical to that. Big Red handed the woman back the card, and she put it back in her purse. "Order name?" Big Red asked.
"Addison," the woman responded.
"Okay," Big Red said. "I'll get your order to the kitchen."
The woman and young child went to one of the booths. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, but Big Red couldn't help but drift his eyes to the booth. Specifically to the dog doll.