Despite its name, the Sunny-Side Up Motel appeared to be run-down from the outside, worn from years of sun rays endlessly attacking it and a painfully obvious lack of maintenance. It wasn’t much better on the inside, either. Minnie Martinez would know.
She started working at the motel when she was still young and naive, figuring that she would only work there for a year before studying in community college and finding a job that didn’t involve trying to squash roaches in the lobby with tissues before guests could see them. But still, on her first day, she walked into the motel with her curly hair tied up in a frizzy bun and her lipsticked mouth curling in a cheerful grin.
Five years later, Minnie was still at the hotel, her hair messily arranged in a hasty bun and a grimace gracing her chapped lips. Over the sounds of her tapping the keyboard absentmindedly, waiting for the reservation page to load, the broken fan in the corner of the lobby sputtered pathetically, unable to defeat its formidable enemy, the Colorado summer heat. She didn’t even know why she was checking the reservations; there would only be two or three more people at most checking in later that evening. Even in the past, the motel was never fully booked — yet Minnie grasped onto the sliver of hope that today could be the day some unprecedented change appeared around the corner.
As if on cue, the rusty bell at the front door rang. Minnie glanced up from the computer monitor, expecting to see a scruffy-looking, middle-aged truck driver, the only type of person who frequented the motel. Instead, a girl in her early 20s, wearing a pair of black athletic shorts and a plain grey t-shirt, walked in, adjusting the pink elastic headband pushing her hair back.
For a second, Minnie assumed this person was an athlete out on a run, stopping by to grab a drink of water before jogging out of the sorry excuse of a motel. Then, she saw the dark green duffel bag clutched tightly in the girl’s hand.
“Hi! I’m checking in under the name Vanessa Jackson,” the girl informed as she fumbled with her wallet, searching for her credit card and ID. She slid both across the counter, and Minnie picked them up, holding back an endearing giggle when she noticed that the credit card had been customized to feature an image of Iron Man.
“All right, let me check you in.” Minnie placed both cards down on the counter, turning to struggle with the sluggish responsiveness of the monitor and the laggy WiFi as she filled out the information into the computer.
As Vanessa picked up her cards, she cleared her throat. “I know I have to make some deposits, but would it be possible for me to pay by the week?”
“Sure.” Minnie nodded, quietly hiding her doubt that Vanessa would even last half of a week, even if she could manage to find enough places in Fort Lupton to keep herself entertained for that long. “The deposit will be fifty dollars just in case of any damages, but once you check out, the fee will be returned to your card.”
She handed Vanessa a motel room key as she instructed, “Here’s your key. Your room is 109, right down the hall on your left. If you need anything, just let me know.”
“I love your necklace. Where’d you get it from?” Vanessa asked, stuffing her key into the pocket of her shorts.
Minnie peered down at her necklace and explained with a blush, “Oh, it was just a gift from someone.”
“It looks good on you! I wish I had an eye for style,” Vanessa sighed, gesturing down at her outfit. “As you can see, I look like I walked out of a sporting goods store, but to be fair, sports clothing is sweat-proof.”
Chuckling, Minnie gestured to the bright sunshine shining onto the black asphalt of the parking lot. Even from afar, she could see the heat waves cartoonishly wiggling along the ground. “Well, you definitely came to Colorado prepared. It’s almost the end of summer, but the weather stays pretty hot into fall. It takes some getting used to. Just don’t stand outside for too long.”
“God, I hope I won’t have to figure out how long is ‘too long,’” Vanessa remarked, her bronze eyes sparkling with amusement. “Anyway, I think I’m gonna crash in my room now. I’m exhausted from traveling. But it was nice meeting you! See you around!”
As Vanessa waved over her shoulder, Minnie absent-mindedly waved back with her free hand, her other hand tracing the thin gold chain of her necklace. She stared after the new visitor, wondering if she had been too quick to judge. Maybe Vanessa would really stick around for a while. Or maybe Minnie was just allowing hope to delude her.
As she returned to staring at the computer screen, Minnie berated herself silently, reminding herself that hope was simply a fool’s truth. But deep down, she wondered if she was still young enough to be foolish.
~
The next morning, Minnie clocked in at 9 am sharp, arriving on time for the first time in months — not that her preoccupied boss would notice, too busy with reading Playboy magazines to manage the business. Minnie usually arrived anywhere between a few minutes to a whole half an hour late, depending on how cooperative her daughter, Jo, who she sent to school before her shift every morning, was being. But that day was different.
Just as Minnie set down her bag in the back office, she heard the bell at the front desk and groaned, unprepared to deal with disgruntled guests complaining about the lumpy bed or the scratchy sheets. Still, she plastered on a smile as she walked out of the back office, hoping that feigning patience and understanding would help resolve the conflict ahead of her more easily.
Instead of being greeted by a grumpy middle-aged man, Minnie was met with Vanessa cheerily chirping, “Minnie! Good morning!”
“Good morning!” Minnie replied instinctively, surprising herself with how she genuinely felt excited to see someone who wasn’t her daughter. Suddenly, realizing that Vanessa had called her by name, she frowned, “Wait, how did you know my name?”
With an amused smile, Vanessa pointed to the nametag on Minnie’s uniform, and Minnie clicked her tongue at her forgetfulness. “Right. I can’t believe I forgot.”
“Don’t worry. Sometimes, I do the thing where I’m looking for my glasses and they’re on top of my head,” Vanessa reassured as she inattentively leaned against the counter.
Minnie cleared her throat as if doing so could help clear her embarrassment away too. “Sorry, how can I help you today?”
As she leaned forward, pressing her elbows against the counter, Vanessa questioned, “Do you have any recommendations for breakfast places around here?”
Brightening, Minnie nodded and took out a piece of paper and a pen, writing down the names and addresses of the restaurants. “Yes, I do! There’s a great place called Pam’s Pancakes, which is just down Taylor Street. It’s about a five-minute walk from here. Their pancakes are really good.”
“Who would have guessed?” Vanessa commented, aptly watching Minnie scrawl down words. Minnie hadn’t met somebody so ardent in the town for years. The last time she’d been this charmed was by… somebody she’d rather not think about so early in the morning.
“Um, there’s also the Breakfast Served, which is a little farther down the road next to the giant records store that you probably passed while driving here. They have delicious hash browns and bacon. And the last one I would recommend is Bread and Breakfast, and their specialties are their pastries. They’re more of a bakery, but it’s kind of like a café-bakery where you can get breakfast there too if you want.”
As Minnie finished writing, she passed Vanessa the paper over the counter. Beaming down at the paper in her hands, Vanessa exclaimed, “Aw, your handwriting is so nice! You’re pretty familiar with this town, huh?”
“Yeah, I’ve lived here my entire life. My parents still live here, too. It’s not hard to know basically everything about town once you’ve lived in it for over twenty years.” Minnie briefly glanced over her shoulder to check that none of her co-workers were eavesdropping on her conversation. Not that it mattered, of course; it just felt strange knowing that their conversation could be overheard by some intruding person who had no business getting involved in something supposed to be kept just between the two of them.
Vanessa opened her mouth, a question forming in her mouth when her digital watch rudely interrupted her with an obnoxious buzz. She sheepishly pointed at her watch. “Sorry, I have to head out on my morning run before I get breakfast. Hey, uh, would you want to go out to get lunch together tomorrow during your lunch break?”
Minnie froze, completely caught off guard. She hadn’t even known Vanessa all that well and she was already asking to spend time with her outside of work? But, at the moment, she didn’t want to keep Vanessa waiting, so she followed her gut. “Definitely! My lunch break starts at 12. We can meet up at Aimee’s Diner. They have really good burgers, and they’re nearby. Everybody who comes to Fort Lupton has to try their food at least once.”
“Then it’s a date! See you!” Vanessa nodded to Minnie and jogged out of the motel nonchalantly as if she hadn’t just asked her what felt like a life-changing question.
As the door swung shut behind Vanessa, Minnie shook her head in an attempt to clear her head. In retrospect, she should have thought her decision through before answering; she should have weighed the cost and benefits more thoroughly. She knew the consequences of acting without thinking all too well.
But talking to Vanessa made her head all foggy — not in an unpleasant way, but rather like her words had made all the problems weighing down on her disappear as she could only think about one thing (or person, in this scenario). Something about that girl’s presence just ignited a spark inside Minnie that had been missing for years. If Minnie still believed in such a thing, she would have even claimed that it was true love at first sight.
For the rest of her shift, Minnie would instinctively glance up whenever she heard the bell on the front door ring, only to be disappointed with the sight of an exhausted guest who trudged back to their room and brushed past her, ignoring her completely. By the time Minnie’s shift ended at 5 in the evening, Vanessa had yet to return, so Minnie brushed off her disappointment, left the motel, and dropped by her parents’ house on her way home to pick up Jo.
As always, Jo enthusiastically told her mother all about her day at kindergarten with her classmates, and Minnie patiently listened, smiling to herself, wishing Jo could stay this innocent and excited forever. It was hard to believe that Jo was once a tiny baby in her arms, just barely bigger than a large loaf of bread. It felt like just yesterday she was changing her diapers, and with Jo’s teenage years, which were surely going to be flooded with despondency, just around the corner, Minnie wanted to cherish Jo’s carefree joy while it was still present.
Once Jo finished sharing her story about the glitter portrait project she had to do in class, Minnie glimpsed in the rearview mirror at her daughter and said, “Sounds like you had a good day! Listen, I’m in a good mood today so why don’t I make you your favorite meal as a treat?”
“Really? I can get mac and cheese today?” Jo squealed, her eyes sparkling even brighter. Minnie nodded, laughing gently as Jo pumped her fists with elation. This was what made her long days at work worth it.
When Minnie got home, she began making the mac and cheese as Jo, on the giant rug in the living room, played with her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures, creating her own sound effects and dialogue.
Minnie’s mother had taught her how to cook the best homemade meals with limited resources and her skillful cooking filled Minnie’s childhood with wonderful aromas and mouth-watering meals that she couldn’t find anywhere outside of her home. Guess those skills came in useful, Minnie thought as she filled two plates with mac and cheese and placed them on the dinner table.
Jo must have heard the plates hitting the table because she instantly ran over to her plate of mac and cheese moments after her mother finished setting the table. She had the self-control to at least wait for Minnie to sit down across from her before she voraciously wolfed down her food.
The only time she paused was to ask through a mouthful of mac and cheese: “Mom, why are you so happy today?”
“Do I need a reason to be happy?” Minnie asked, no malice in her voice whatsoever.
Jo swallowed her food and explained with wide eyes, “You’re always tired after work. You only smile when I say something funny.”
“I guess… I don’t know, but I feel like things are just changing for the better,” Minnie shrugged, and Jo didn’t prod any further, too busy gobbling up the rest of her food. In the dim light of the dining room, Minnie smiled as she watched her daughter enjoy dinner, her apartment warmer and cozier than it had felt in a long time. And she decided that her family, as small as it felt sometimes, was always going to be more than enough for her.
