so many days like this

 Cori felt the pizzeria just wasn't the same without Deano. After all, he was his right-hand man. Of course, he'd been thinking of Melvin too. Perhaps he was just too melancholy these days. He didn't mean to be depressed. He knew it could all be worse. 

At least his eyes were fine. No better. No worse. Still, he felt this lull he was in made it impossible to move forward. Ingredients alone for a pizza were on the rise. They'd stopped making salads. It was a waste. And the only person he could depend on most nights was Pixie.

"I should see if she could do more hours," he mentioned to Megan.

"Well, you could, but-"

"But what?"

"She's got her hands full with Cyrus." Megan sighed as if it wasn't easy for her. It was as if they should pay her for babysitting, perhaps.

"But, at least he's trying to help out." It might be a far cry from being a cook or a dough maker, but Cyrus was always folding boxes.

"Just get more help," Megan made it sound so simple, but Cori always had anxieties about bringing someone else in.

Of course, Megan's grandmother was worried about other things. Like a wedding. That hadn't happened yet. He knew her grandparents wanted it done as soon as possible.

Her grandmother had brought in a box on Valentine's Day. It was a wedding dress. Megan was in shock and Cori didn't know if it was bad luck that he saw it.

Her grandmother had had it made years ago.

"Thank God, you haven't gained weight," she'd said to Megan. "I couldn't resist." She'd seen it in a shop going out of business a year or so before the pandemic. "I wanted you to at least have something from back home."

Cori felt he wasn't sentimental enough, but he could see the joy in Megan's grandmother who wanted the wedding to happen.

Of course, he hadn't a clue who could officiate. He didn't even know if he could think of a best man. He'd always thought Melvin would be his best man. Yes, he felt as if he was back to square one, and nothing was done.