“Done.” Tina smiled in spite of her tired state as she crossed out the last of the orders. She froze as she looked down on the tray and took in the sight. “Porter?” She raised an eyebrow as she stared at the food in front of her. Oh my God.. she swallowed hard and closed her eyes. Can this be..? Her breath hitched inside her throat. Her usual orders.. table number twenty.. does this mean..?

The tray of food forgotten, Tina left her place behind the counter and slowly walked towards the outdoor area of the Planet. Her heart thumped loudly inside her chest and her hands shook at her sides. Please be there. Once again, she uttered her plea from this morning as she inched closer and closer towards the doorway. With only a few steps away, her eyes automatically drifted shut in an effort to brace herself for yet another disappointment. She will be there. She changed her mantra in an effort to psyche herself up. Optimism or false hope? A small voice mocked her inside of her head, but as soon as it spoke up, she squashed it dead and ambled on. She will be there. With a big smile plastered on her face, she stepped outside the small outdoor space and opened her eyes. She whipped her head around in search of the elusive person that she was desperately trying to reach all day. She must be here. She furrowed her brows as her hands balled up into fists. You must be here. She bit her trembling lower lip as moisture started to build at the corner of her eyes. She was all alone. Save for a few African lovebirds inside the cages at the far end, she was the only one with a pulse inside the tiny area. Her shoulders slumped down in defeat as her hands gripped one of the nearby chairs in an effort to steady herself. Nothing but a cruel joke. She mentally cursed herself for allowing herself to hope. Right before a tear escaped from her hazel eyes, she felt a strong pair of arms hug her from behind and the softest of lips landing on her exposed shoulder. “I knew it..” She bit back a sob as she leaned back against the warm body that was holding her close. She closed her eyes as relief came crashing down on her. “I’m sorry..” A gentle voice from behind floated inside her ears as she felt warm tears hitting her shoulder. That was all it took for the flood gates in Tina’s eyes to burst open. Her whole body shook and her knees grew weak, and if it weren’t for the person holding her up, she would have fallen to the floor with a loud thud.