We Went Back

We went back sooner than expected.

Curiosity has a way of accelerating plans, and I was ready for more information. Holly was working.

It was like what Tina had shared, just with more space around it. More detail. More context. Gossip, if we’re being honest.

Holly and Pamela go way back. They’ve worked at several places together, just like Tina and Pamela had. What became clear is that this wasn’t new. There was a pattern. Pamela had a history of leaving jobs for cause.

It was disappointing.

And also… not entirely surprising.

I’ve worked in mental health long enough to recognize that behavior usually has a throughline. I’m not here to judge. We all make mistakes. Sometimes more than once. Still, actions have consequences.

There had been talk of legal charges, which immediately caught my attention. Not because I was interested in the details of what happened, but because I know where that road can lead.

I asked Holly if Pamela had been arrested.

She said no.

I felt immediate relief.

She asked why I was curious. I said, matter-of-factly, “Because I would go bail her out.”

Without missing a beat, she said, “I would have already done it.”

That was a moment.

Something shifted. It stopped being about a server and a customer and felt more like what it actually is. These are people in the rhythm of my days. Not one-off stories. Not background characters.

People.

I also know that jail is not a place for rehabilitation, especially for something like this. Holly said it had been going on for quite some time, which only made me more curious about what we’ll probably never fully understand.

Within a week of Pamela leaving, Tina was also terminated. Improper conduct with co-workers.

That one caught me off guard.

It’s easy to want to draw clean lines around all of this. To decide what’s right, what’s wrong, who’s at fault. In another life, I might have done that. Offered a take. Held a position.

Now, I see something else.

People trying to get by. Doing their best. Even when it isn’t good enough. Even when it crosses a line.

In the meantime, we learned where Pamela has landed. It’s a better place.

I hope she’s on her best behavior.
I hope she shows up.
I hope she delivers what I would consider gold star service.

We’ll go see her soon.

For now, we’re still regulars. Christie has taken over Pamela’s shifts, and I’m slowly warming up to the change. Learning her story.

Life goes on.

We get used to it.