~OCEANO~
Days had bled into one another like watercolor on wet paper, and I hadn't heard a single word from Crow or Mel. The silence was deafening, a musical track of fear and doubt playing on repeat in my head. I tried keeping busy—the restaurant helped to keep my mind occupied during the day, but nightfall brought with it a whole different set of rules—ones that didn't have the forgiving nature of a nine to five time frame.
Each tick of the clock was a drumbeat in the symphony of anxiety that had taken over my life. With every dish washed, every order served, every customer's smile, my mind was allowed to rest.
Nighttime though, that's when fear would raise its ugly head and consume me.
I missed Mel's laughter, which had always been a balm to my soul. And Crow, God, how I missed tha
