Back home: Italian Deilivery

Posted on 17 May 2023 @ 9:30am by Liam Knight & Sofia Roselli

Episode: E1: A Historic Voyage
Location: Mitch's Auto Shop Kitsap, WA
Timeline: Date 2025-05-09 at 0530

Sofia took her trusty Volkswagon on the road, like Ciara she had bought it years ago and was going to drive it in to the ground before looking for a replacement.

Today she was going to see another of the Arizona family. Someone who while he was going through what she knew that he had less time to get used to it and didn't get the 2 years in Boston first. So she pulled into the garage and headed in to see Liam, who she had met while getting Ciara's truck's oil changed,

Once inside the shop, she waited patiently while he took care of the customers that were at the counter.

"So, parts and labor plus tax brings the total to $287.56," Liam said reading from the computer screen before he looked back at the man standing in front of him. He spotted a familiar face behind the man and recognized Sofia Roselli. He nodded a greeting to her before taking the man's proffered credit card. Inserting it into the machine, he waited while the machine processed the payment before the old printer whirled to life and spit out a carbon copy receipt. He handing the man back his card, Liam took a pen from his uniform shirt pocket with his dirty hands, and showed where the man needed to sign. After handing his copy, he replaced the pen in his pocket and looked up expectantly at Sofia as she approached.

"Don't tell me that old VW finally crapped out on you," he said before giving her a slight grin.

"Still working like a clock, it's going to need brakes down the road. But today, I'm bearing dinner. I figure we're going through the same thing, and thought you could use someone to comiserate with."

"I appreciate that. My number one rule in life is never turn down a free meal," he said before checking his watch. "I have the tow shift tonight, so its just me here right now. We got a break room just down the back hall if you want to bring it in there while i lock up the front," he said pointing behind his shoulder and opening the knee nocker door to allow her behind the counter. He grabbed the keys for the dead bolt and headed to the front door. The bay doors had already been closed, so he turned off the "Open" sign and secured the deadbolt. He then Hit the switches to turn off the lobby lights, the lone security light remained illuminated behind the counter.

Sofia responded, "That's a good rule." she headed back to the small break room which had the usual detritus of a garage. Magazines rested around, car magazines and posters from various parts manufacturers, but seemed to be missing the 'girlie' calendars, that she recalled from her Uncle Gino's shop.

She started the oven to heat up the food, and was soon reading a review of some muscle car, that she knew was horribly impractical, but looked like a hell of a lot of fun.

Liam made sure to grab the cordless phone and clip it to his uniform pants as he followed his nose back to the break room. He found Sofia reading one of the magazines left out while he drifted over to the fridge. He sniffed the air again before looking over at her, "That smells ten times better than anything i can make myself. You want anything to drink? We got plenty of water, but Ernie keeps some Brisk sweet teas back here." He opened the fridge and pulled a water out for himself while he waited for an answer.

"I'll take a water too, though next time I'll bring the chianti." Sofia took a bottle, "Food should be ready soon."

He reached in and pulled out another bottle of water and handed it to her. He then sat at the table and twisted the cap off and taking a swig. "So, have you heard anything from Ciara," he asked remembering what Isa had told him.

"She sent an e-mail before they hit New York, Promised a letter with pictures when they get underway, you heard from Isabel?" She began dishing out food.

Liam nodded in response. "She called me when she got some time to get off the boat. She didn't say where they would be going next," he offered in response before he stood and walked over to the small counter. There was a roll of paper towels on the table, but he opened a door and fished out a couple of packs of plastic silverware that had been dumped from the various take out orders he and his coworkers had brought over the years. He offered a pack to Sofia before he retook his seat.

"That smells wonderful," he said as he inhaled deeply and eyed the plate of Lasagna hungrily.

She took the pack of silverware and then distributed two slices of the food. THen they settled in, "Don't stand on ceremony dig in."

Without another word, Liam started to take a bite before the heat of the food stopped him. He blew a few puffs of air across it to cool it down before he took a bite. As he chewed he savored the food and leaned back in his chair. He looked towards Sofia, "That," he said while pointing at his plate with his fork, "Is delicious."

"Glad you like it." Sofia did smile, "Last e-mail I got from Ciara, we were discussing having you two over for dinner." She paused, "Hopefully they'll be home soon."

The thought of a dinner with one of Isa's colleagues made him smile. "That sounds like it would be fun," he said before looking over at Sofia, "You have more experience with this than I do. How long do these trips usually last?"

"Honestly I have no idea, when Ciara and I started seeing each other, she was on shore duty so I'm just as new at dealing with deployments as you are."

Lima nodded in response. He had assumed that Sofia had been through this before, but he wasn't that surprised either. Isa had explained to him the difference between shore duty and being deployed. "You seem like you've been through this before though. How do you do it," he said with a light hearted laugh before taking another bite of his food.

"Just find things to keep myself busy, send lots of letters and e-mails, and I've started the writing part of my book. Gives me something to do."

"No shortage of that around here," Liam said looking around the break room as he chewed his food. "Isa mentioned that you are a teacher," Liam said looking at the older woman.

"Yep, History and Political Science, at Olympic college. Also have a graduate seminar on the evolution of the Presidency. " There was a brief pause as she ate some food, "How long have you run this shop?"

Liam laughed slightly before looking back up at her. "Isa must be talking me up a big deal. I don't run this place, I just work here. I have for about five years," he said before taking a swig from his drink. "I do rent a small garage on the outskirts of town where I do some side jobs for people," he said.

There was a brief pause, "Always good, have good streams of income. It's why I wrote a couple books, extra income."

“What books have you written,” he asked before taking another sip from his drink.

She paused, "A couple of them, one on the Election of 1968 and how that changed society, One on the Wives of Henry the eighth, and my next one should be out next year, a biography of Queen Victoria."

Liam nodded in response as he took another bite of the lasagna. The subjects she was referring too wasn't his strong suit, but he was just happy to be making conversation. "You'll have to forgive me, but history was not my strong subject in school," he offered.

That got a grin, "Well you never had the right teachers...." With that they tucked in to their lasagna and continued to just talk getting to know each other