The woman guided me to a diner less than a mile from the bridge; the Golden Diner. It was small and cozy, with a decent crowd for the night. I was just happy it wasn’t the diner Jess served at. I didn’t want to explain why I was paying a stranger’s way with the birthday cash she stashed in that card… especially when this woman could eat. I’d never seen someone wolf down so many rare burgers. And when I say rare, I mean I think they served from butcher to table. I could have sworn I heard one of her burgers moo…

“I’m guessing you come here a lot?”

“Mm-hmm,” she uttered with a full mouth. “Bloody rare an’ bloody good.”

I smiled weakly as I nodded before looking at the full stack burger in my hands. I looked back towards her, staring in curiosity as she let out sounds of pleasure with each bite. She wiped the juice off her chin with her sleeve.

“So what brought you outside, Jack?”

I gave the woman a stunned look. She looked at me nonchalantly before pointing towards the card on the table. My name was plastered on the front of it. I let out an embarrassed groan as I dropped the burger and buried my face into my hand. Sad to say, this wasn’t the least awkward exchange I’ve had.

“Uh… ma’am…”

“Don’t ma’am me. I have a name, too, you know.”

I stuttered with a panicked look, afraid I had offended her. She glared at me with a cocked eyebrow. I was certain she was going to drag me back to the bridge and throw me over. Her expression softened as a grin grew on her face. She chuckled quietly and outstretched a greasy hand.

“Veronica. Least I owe you for the heart attack on a bun.”

I eased up as I chuckled quietly. I cautiously shook her hand before she resumed eating her meal. I looked at my hand, the grease plastered on my palm. I groaned quietly as I wiped it off with my napkin as quickly as I could. I looked like a mechanic cleaning grime off of their hands.

“Um… Veronica… I was just… y’know, out and about. I’m more curious about-”

“Yeah, yeah, I know what’s tickin’ in that head of yours.”

Veronica suddenly transformed into a meeker person, effortlessly shedding her confident demeanor. And it didn’t long to realize who she was imitating.

“I’m guessing you’re not from around here?” she said in a nervous tone, deepening her voice and shedding her accent.

Suddenly my nervousness was replaced with mild annoyance as a subtle frown grew on my face. Partially from the lack of flattery, partially from the fact that she had me down pat.

“I don’t sound like that…” I muttered quietly.

Veronica imitated my frown before changing to a playful smile.

“Just trying to lighten things up for you, mate,” she said encouragingly. “But to answer your question, I’m not exactly local.”

“I never would have guessed,” I replied jokingly as I relaxed.

“Made my way down here a while ago, and I’ve been surviving for a tick. It’s not bad, though. No rent, no taxes, no one to answer to… just me going where I want when I want. Means less people too… unless they’re throwing me a bone.”

“Like me?” I asked, motioning towards her burger before taking a sip.

“Not that kind,” she said with a smirk.

I gave her a confused look… before exploding into a coughing fit, choking on my drink. She stared at me with amusement as I tried to regain my composure.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry” I wheezed out in between coughs. “I-I’m not judging or anything! Christ… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. My life, my choices. Besides, it pays a bloody mint. Probably make more in an hour than these servers in a day.”

“… Makes sense,” I said, staring thoughtfully to the side.

“Hmmm. Had you pegged for more of a prude.”

I could feel my face flush. I looked away momentarily, clearing my chest of any remaining cola with a hefty cough.

“I mean… I get it. You do what you have to do to survive, right? As long as it isn’t hurting anyone. Or… you.

“I’m a big girl,” she replied, waving the burger in the air with a smirk. “I can handle myself. Saved your arse, didn’t I?”

“… Yeah… thank you.”

“No worries. I know a jumper when I see one.”

I felt my body go cold. My eyes widened as I stared at the table, scared to make eye contact. A sudden tongue click caught my attention as I looked back at Veronica. It was weird… I’d never seen an expression so indifferent, yet… understanding. It was like someone who lived through the worst the world had to offer as an everyday occurrence and accepted it as normal.

“No judgment, mate. It’s just the way things are. Poor get poorer, sick get sicker… and the only ones making off with anything are arseholes piggybacking off of them. Plenty of reasons to want to take a leap. Lord knows I’ve got mine. So… what’s yours?”

She grabbed a fry and pointed it at me. It took me a moment to realize it was an offering. I hesitantly took it from her and slowly took a bite. I looked back out the window next to our seat. It was still surprisingly cold and solitary. Thoughts of everything over the past two years… the accident, episodes, and every other damn thing that could have gone wrong. And it felt like it was my doing one way or another.

“You ever had that bad of a day?” I asked.

Veronica stared for a moment before cocking her eyebrows and taking a sip of her drink.

“‘Course.”

All I could do was stare and nod. Another question poked at my brain. Her aloofness, her cavalier attitude, I couldn’t help but wonder…

“… Why me?” I uttered.

Veronica let out a quizzical grunt as she leaned back in her booth, stretching her arm along the back of it. She thoughtfully looked outside, contemplating the question for longer than I expected. Her tapping finger somehow cut through the conversations nearby.

“Maybe I was at the right place at the right time. Maybe I wanted to do a little good for once… see how that felt.”

I stared at her as I leaned in, my eyes begging for an answer. She shrugged her shoulders as she took the last bite of her burger.

“Eh. Not my thing. Be glad I was around, ‘cause that was a one-time deal.”

I visibly deflated as I gave her a disappointed look. Not necessarily in her, but just how anticlimactic of a response it was. I shouldn’t have expected any other answer from her casual demeanor. But it was what it was. And with that, she snatched up her last fry and got to her feet.

“Appreciate the meal, mate. Guess that makes us even. Have a lovely evenin’, yeah?”

As she got to her feet, she pat my shoulder and gave me an encouraging smile. I felt a sudden twinge, like a thread was pulling me with her as she left. I stared at her as she made her way past the door. As she passed by through the window, I jumped to my feet, pressing my hand against the cold glass.

“Wait!”

Veronica looked towards me with surprise. I quickly darted out the door, hurrying after her. She simply stared at me with confusion. As I ran up to, I reached into my pocket, pulling out a wad of whatever money I had left and stretched it out towards her. She stared at the cash in hand before giving me a bemused smile.

“I really pegged you wrong, didn’t I?”

I stared confused before the realization hit. Suddenly my face turned redder than my jacket.

“N-No! No, no, no! I-I… I meant…”

Stammering like an idiot, I reached for her hand and shoved the bills into it. I folded her hand over them, unable to make eye contact with her. I could still feel her staring at me with bewilderment.

“Every little bit helps… right?” I asked. “Besides…”

I looked up at her, finally making eye contact. I smiled awkwardly.

“This barely covers what I owe you.”

Veronica’s bewilderment grew as my smile widened. I took several steps back and waved before darting off into the night. It was hard to explain why, but… there was a bigger spring in my step. In my head, I got my sign from the universe that I wasn’t as alone as I thought… that maybe it was watching me after all. A stranger in the night… a passing face… something that would probably just exist in my memories because I knew I’d never see her again. I could appreciate the moment for what it was.

… I really was naïve, wasn’t I?