"She smiles and says, "Welcome back," like she means it, and it kind of breaks my heart. She's nice. I forgot what that's like. I try to smile back at her, but I'm not sure I'm getting it right. I mean, my face does something. Whether it's a smile or not is up to her. The good news is that when she brings me my order she doesn't pepper-spray me. That's a beginning. I feel like a kid on his first date, proud he didn't spill whiskey on his girlfriend's dress or puke on her when he drank too much. "Come back soon," she says as I pick up my stuff."