Breaking of Bread

Who: Mickey and Shoshannah
Where: a restaurant in Little Haven
When: evening

He’d tried to clean up, but it was still a lost cause. His hands still had a little bit of grease under his nails that just didn’t come out, and though he’d pulled out church clothes, a nice button down with trousers and a jacket, he still looked a little rumpled as he drove them from her place to the restaurant. His nice stuff wasn’t as nice as someone else’s, still cheap and mended. “Sorry the truck isn’t very nice. Hopefully you don’t get dirty just sitting in it.” He threw a glance her way, giving her a bashful smile.

On the contrary, Shoshannah was really enjoying the truck. It was easy to see in the brightness of her expression, the way she studied the car from where she was up in the front, studied the road, everything. "Mickey, stop. I love it! I've never ridden in a truck before. Never ridden in the front of a car either. It's fantastic!" She also doubted her gray skirt or her green long-sleeved blouse would get dirty at all from his truck. Thanks to a certain someone there was a considerable amount of color in her wardrobe now, but she still favored her earth tones.

Mickey had to smile at that, not sure what to make of it being fantastic, but willing to go along with it. “Well I’m glad I could help you experience new things then. I’ll have to come up with something else for next time.”

Nodding, Shannah smiled. A next time would be nice. She enjoyed Mickey's company and wondered what a next time would entail. Sitting back in the truck, Shoshannah glanced at him with a smile. "We could just drive around in this truck and I'm sure I'd still be as entertained as ever."

That had Mickey laughing as they pulled onto the street of the restaurant. “You know, I think that should surprise me but it doesn’t. You have an interest in things most people don’t notice. I guess that’s why you’re so good with the art stuff.”

"There's something for everyone in the art stuff," She said, looking back over at him. "Everyone can be good at that." Gathering up her purse and her jacket, Shoshannah started to slip towards the door. "Besides, there's a lot in this world to notice. There's beauty in everything." She definitely felt like her old self again and with the diminishing of bruises came the revitalizing of her old spirit.

Mickey shook his head a little at that, jumping out of the truck once he’d parked it and turned it off then made his way to her side. It was slow and labored, but he forced himself not to be self conscious of her watching him cross the front of the truck to open her door. “I think you’re better at it than most, especially better at spotting the beauty in everything. Most people would have come in the shop and seen the mess that that place is, not the beauty you somehow managed to pick out of it.”

Shannah tried not to stare at Mickey, but it was sweet that he wanted to open her door for her. She smiled at him when he was there, reaching out to take his arm for balance as she stood then link her arm through his. "The shop is beautiful. You do all sorts of things there I could never imagine doing. And the machinery, it's all really impressive. I don't see how people can't see the beauty in it."

Mickey walked slower once she was on his arm, fighting off his nerves as best he could, but relieved she was shorter and the slower more careful steps were necessary. “People don’t because it’s covered in a layer of dirt and grime and home to a group of ruffians I wouldn’t let near anyone would called themselves respectable. That clouds whatever you’re seeing.” But Shoshannah had a naivety about people, believed in them more than most. Which of course made Mickey want to protect her from them even more than before.

"I don't think people understand that sometimes dirt can be beautiful too. There were these spots on the floor of the garage, oil I think, and they were swirling around near a drain when someone was trying to wash them..It was really something to see." She kept his pace with him, wondering for the thousandth time why Mickey tried so hard to hide the limp she'd seen before. "You aren't a ruffian and you work there. People just need to learn to see past the surface sometimes."

Mickey glanced at her curiously at that one, surprised that anyone would see something in cleaning up oil off the floor. Shaking his head he held the door for her, letting her step inside first. “I am a ruffian, I just have a better understanding than most of them about respecting women.” He had sisters after all, though there was a pang in his soul that came with thinking of his family in the past tense.

The restaurant smelled fantastic as soon as they stepped inside. Garlic filled the air and just a whiff of it had Shoshannah smiling. She'd called ahead for a reservation for them and when they approached the hostess, they were greeted with a smile and a 'right this way' then led to a table for two near the window of the restaurant. "I still don't think you're a ruffian, Mickey." The menus they were handed were open in front of Shoshannah and she glanced down at the wine selection first. "Do you drink wine? This dinner is for you so anything you like..."

Once they were at the table Mickey took off his coat, handing it away to hostess. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up past his forearm, not because he wanted them to be, but more because the shirt didn’t quite fit and rolling the sleeves up covered that. It left the tattoo on his arm exposed, a rose there on the inside of his forearm. “Um. Well it’s not so much that I wouldn’t drink it, I just don’t drink it. Not really the wine type. But you don’t have to do that.”

"I don't like it much either," Shoshannah admitted, hiding her face from the rest of the restaurant with the menu as if she was sharing a secret with him. "And you can't get out of this now, Mickey. You accepted and the offer was for me to treat you to dinner. It still stands. Anything at all that you'd like, please get it." It was the least she could do for him helping her rebuild the gallery.

Mickey gave her a smile leaning so he was behind her menu a little as well. “I hear what you’re saying, but I’m still going to protest. I’m not used to favors or thank yous that come with such nice silverware.” He did favors for people who had very little, getting paid whatever they had, even if it was less than he might have gotten from someone else for the same work.

"I know, the silverware is pretty nice here, isn't it?" Shannah agreed, still smiling. "You can protest all you want, but you're getting the dinner you deserve." She pulled back a little, putting the menu down. "You pick what you'd like first, then I'll pick." That way she could be assured he'd get what he wanted and not base it off what she was going to get.

“Very nice,” Mickey said picking up a fork to inspect it before setting it back down again. He hated that she was making him order first, but more because he wasn’t sure what half the things on the menu were. Not that it mattered, he managed to find something that sounded familiar and decided he’d go with that. Closing his menu, he opted for looking at her instead, smiling a little. “How are things at the gallery?”

She picked her meal as well and once the waiter had their orders, Shoshannah was leaning a little closer to him on the table. Her mother would surely get on her for putting her elbow on it, but she didn't care. Her mother wasn't here and a lot of those rigid table manners that had been instilled in her as a child had fallen by the wayside when she left home. Leaning her head on her hand, Shannah smiled back. "Things are going very well. I think we'll have the grand re-opening soon, with a party and everything. We've got an artist interested in showing their pieces so I think it should be that night. With a special invitation to the man who made it all possible," She said to him. "So expect something embossed in the mail."

She really was too cute when she smiled. “You really want me at another one of your parties?” he asked, a little surprised though he covered it with an amused tone. “And I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure I know what you mean by something embossed.”

"Of course I do. You're always welcome at the parties, Mickey. And something embossed, well..just a nice invitation. Nicer than a clipping from The Echo. Something written up and made for you." She knew a couple of people who deserved a nice invitation like that, but Mickey would get his first because the idea was for him initially.

He might have been welcome but he certainly didn’t blend into the parties. Still, he nodded, non verbally accepting the invitation. “So something fancy. I guessed that actually. I actually don’t think I’ve ever gotten a fancy invitation to anything.”

"I like fancy invitations. My mother used to get them all the time in the mail and before she'd snag them away I'd run my fingers over the embossed part on the front of the envelope because it pops up out of the paper like it's alive and trying to break free." She smiled again. "Everyone should get at least one fancy invitation."

“Should they now? Some of us aren’t really in a position to be invited to things that require fancy invites.” He’d never even gotten one for a wedding, though he’d only been to a few they were small affairs at the church, quiet ceremonies that information about was passed word of mouth and not through invitations.

"Then maybe I'll start sending invites out to everyone I can; embossed, nice invitations." She was of the mind that a nice invitation made someone feel special. They'd always made her feel special and maybe if she took the time to send them out by hand, it would make the receivers feel special too. "Single-handedly cloak the town in embossed invitations."

Mickey chuckled a little, leaning one arm on the table as well and nodding. “I think that would be quiet the task, but if anyone is up for it, it’d be you.” He gave her a bright smile then ducked his head a little. “If you want me there I’ll be there.” It was a little easier to say if he wasn’t looking at her, but looking at the plate tablecloth instead.

"I'd like you to be there if you'd like to be there. I'd like for you to see that you were such a big help in getting the gallery back to where it needs to be. I think you deserve the praise." She smiled at him more, ducking her head to try and catch his eyes. "But if you don't want a whole party of people giving you thanks and handshakes, I'll keep that part to myself. I just still think you should come."

“I don’t deserve any praise. There’s no need for that,” Mickey pointed out waving his hand as if to brush it away. “But I want to be there for you. That’s why I was there the first time.” He let her catch his eyes, trying to smile a little.

"I'd love to have you threre." Shoshannah just smiled for a moment, adding "And you're still getting a nice invitation." Their salads were quick to come out and Shannah sat back a little to let the waiter put them down, glancing at Mickey first. "I like salads. They're not my favorite food but I like them."

Mickey picked up a fork about to spear his salad before stopping and setting the fork down again. “Is there anything you don’t like?” he asked, smiling when he said it. She seemed to have an open love for just about everything. In the back of his mind it twinged that that open love could work in his favor, that she’d overlook his imperfections, but he didn’t let the thought grow beyond the twinge. That was getting too many steps ahead of himself and he’d done that this afternoon with Eily. This was a thank you dinner for work that he needed no thank you for. Nothing more than that.

She thought on it, fork in her hand, and shrugged. "Brussel sprouts. I don't like turnips either, or cabbage, but I appreciate them for trying," She said with a laugh. "Better to let someone who likes them enjoy them." She speared a few pieces of lettuce, looking up at him. "What's your least favorite food?"

“I like cabbage. But that might be more of an Irish thing,” Mickey said with a smile. “Though I’m glad you’re still giving the vegetables you don’t like the recognition they deserve.” She really was something else. He had to wonder if she ever got mad. “Least favorite...Probably potatoes. Not because they don’t taste good, just, well sometimes that’s all there is. It gets old after a while. I still eat them, but it’s something I can’t get excited about.”

"I'll have to introduce you to matzah then. Matzah ball soup is my favorite soup by far and it's filling like things with potatoes would be. Plus it has the distinct edge of being one of the two meals I can cook. Matzah Ball Soup and Bagels and Lox, the only two things I know how to make. And maybe you can find some cabbage I'd like. I'll give it a shot if you give matzah a chance." Shoshannah held her hand out, like they were going to shake on a deal.

“That good huh?” Mickey asked, raising an eyebrow out of curiosity. “I’m not making promises on you liking cabbage just because I cooked it, but we can give it a shot.” He grinned for a moment, wiping off his hands out of habit before taking hers with his tattooed arm. “I think you have yourself a deal though.”

It was probably a good thing that her food was off to the side of the table now, because Shannah could feel it. That one moment right before her condition flared at she knew something was wrong, something was up. She felt it and in the next instance she was down, hand still in his but her head lolled off to the side, eyes shut as her arm slackened towards the table.

Mickey was glad he had a hand on her because when she slumped like that it was easier to keep her from planting directly into the table. Eyes wide with fear he was out of his seat in an instant, moving around the table to her already trying to sort out what happened. “Sho?’ he asked, voice somewhat frantic as he tapped her cheek. She still had a pulse and seemed to be breathing fine, but she was out cold. “Sho,” he said again, trying to rouse her, even if he was starting to attract some attention.

The time between Shoshannah falling and Shoshannah waking could last anywhere from minutes to close to an hour. It always lasted shorter, though, when there was someone trying to rouse her. She could feel someone tap at her cheek, someone close enough that she could slowly start to hear a variant of her name and Shannah broke through her condition with wild eyes as she took in her surroundings. Mickey. Restaurant. Other restaurant patrons. She hated that the first thing she thought of was wondering if there was another attack going on, but judging from everyone else it seemed that she had just fallen prey to her condition again. Sighing, she shook her head and tried not to look at him because it was embarrassing, really. They'd been having a nice time, at least she had, and of course her condition flared then. "..I'm so sorry. Really, I'm fine, it's nothing. Really."

Mickey found himself letting out sigh of relief when she opened her eyes even if she looked away from him. “Hey, hey. Don’t apologize. I was just worried.” He let himself brush his fingers over her cheek, trying to soothe her. “What happened? Are you sure you’re okay? I can take you home.” Dinner wasn’t that important if she wasn’t well.

"Really, Mickey, I'm fine," She said softly, looking back at him. "This isn't uncommon. It's actually...really, really common." Glancing back around the room, she noticed the people were still confused but probably less worried and that was something to hope for. "You can sit down if you want, I'll..I'll tell you all about it."

He stayed kneeling next to her, watching her for a moment, not worried about the people looking. “Are you sure you’re okay? Because we can go. We don’t have to stay.” Mickey didn’t want her to suffer through dinner if she didn’t need to.

Shoshannah squeezed his hand a little more and nodded her head towards the seat. "Sit down and I'll tell you about it. Really, I'm fine. I promise. If I wasn't, I'd let you get me home. But I am fine"

He lingered for a moment longer then got up, moving back to his seat, looking across the table at her. It was obvious he was still anxious, worried she might collapse on him again. He didn’t say anything because he wasn’t sure what to say, instead he just waited for her to explain.

Shoshannah waited until he got back to his seat and then leaned closer, sighing. "I have a condition, Mickey. It's... it happens all the time. I don't have any control over it and I just fall asleep. Nothing else happens but it's inconvenient and a little scary..but really it is fine."

There was a long moment where he was quiet trying to wrap his head around it. “You just fall asleep?” he asked. He was one to know about conditions, given his own handicap, so he wasn’t about to judge her for it, but it had scared him and now he wanted to make sure nothing was wrong.

"Yes, I just fall asleep. I can't tell you why, I don't know why, but I just fall asleep. My father studied it but still has no idea." She shook her head a little bit, looking up at his eyes. "I'm so sorry it happened. I didn't mean to scare you..."

Mickey reached across the table and took her hand holding it tightly. “It’s fine Shoshannah. I just wish you would have told me before now.” So that he would have been more prepared for the situation. “You’re sure you’re a hundred percent okay? I have no issues with taking you home. We can do this again.”

"It's just as likely to happen tonight as it would any other night. I really am fine. Just..think of it as me taking a little nap, unexpectedly and without any real control." She held his hand though, smiling a little at how nice it felt to have someone's hand to hold. "I'd like to just enjoy my dinner with you but I understand if it's too odd."

“You should have told me,” Mickey scolded a little, not too hard, but at least enough so that she would know he was being serious about it. “It’s not odd, I promise. You’re talking to someone who’s dealt a condition his whole life. If you’re fine, we’re fine.”

"I'm fine," She assured him. "I don't like to talk about it. I don't like people seeing me and thinking of my condition." Shoshannah watched him a little more and shook her head. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I don't really ever tell anyone until it happens. You know, you could tell me. About your condition, if you wanted to. Only if you wanted to."

Mickey smirked a little giving her hand a squeeze. “I wouldn’t see it. You fall asleep when you don’t mean to, but that’s not who you are.” He smiled as he said it. When she asked about him he shrugged a little, letting go of her hand and going back to not being sure what to do with it. “It’s nothing interesting. Just...legs don’t work right. Doctor said I was uneven I think.”

"I don't think you were uneven, Mickey," Shoshannah said as she shook her head a little. She leaned forward more, trying to catch his eyes. "Your legs look like they work just fine. And it's not who you are anyway. If sleeping at awful times isn't me, then anything you have with your legs isn't you." Though she wouldn't admit it, it was nice to feel connected to someone with a similar condition. Something that couldn't be hidden from the outside world no matter how hard either of them tried. It had been a very long time since she'd felt connected to someone who really, truly understood.

“Well they don’t work perfect that’s for sure, but sure, more than that.” He smiled, glad he could help her feel a little bit more at ease. “So any other little secrets I should know about?”

Shoshannah shook her head again. "Neither do I, but that doesn't mean both of us aren't still great." She smiled again, hoping to get his attention again. "I think that's it. Sleeping when I don't decide to, that's about it. But I know it's strange so it always seems like people aren't going to accept it so easily as they have."

“I can’t imagine anything about you that people wouldn’t just accept easily.” Mickey smiled when he said it showing he meant it. He really couldn’t think of anything about her that he wouldn’t accept readily.

"Sweet of you to say, Mickey, but you'd be surprised how many people don't accept this." She shrugged again a little. "At least we have each other though, right? Partners in crime with both our conditions."