The restaurant was quiet, except for the soft murmur of voices and the clinking of dishes being cleared away. Charlie Nickles sat across the table decorated with both of his XWF belts, his eyes fixed on the empty chair in front of him. In the darkest corner of the restaurant sat a shadowy figure no one else could see, silently staring back at him.

"This place... It's real nice, huh?"

Charlie said, his voice hushed, as if he were sharing a secret.

"You know, I wasn't sure if you'd like it, but it's supposed to have the best tacos in town. Thought maybe... I thought maybe you'd enjoy it."

There was no response.  She just sat there, still and silent, her ghostly presence the only thing tying him to the past, to a memory he couldn’t let go of.

"You know, I missed a lot when you were little. No daddy-daughter dances, no school plays... hell, I wasn’t even around for the important stuff...I know I made mistakes, but I'm still going to fix them, I promise."

Charlie gestured towards the championship belts atop the table, but the shadowy figure made no acknowledgement of them. Charlie cleared his throat awkwardly before the waiter approached, setting down a delicious trio of tacos in front of Charlie. The Nickleman stared at the food for a moment before pushing it toward the empty chair.

"I... uh, I ordered for you, too. I thought you might want to try them. I figured it's been a while since you've had your favorite food..."

His voice cracked, but he pressed on.

"Well, I don't know if tacos were your favorite food...but, it's a pretty good guess right?"

Silence hung heavy between them. Charlie bit his lip and fidgeted with his championship belts, rubbing his fingers over them absentmindedly.

"I thought maybe tonight we could talk... just like old times. About the things I didn’t say before."

He hesitated, glancing at her again. Her presence, even though it wasn’t real, felt like it was the only thing keeping him grounded in his sobriety.

"I miss you...every day."

He whispered, barely able to get the words out.

"But I...I just wish I could take it all back."

He took a deep breath as he tried to push the sadness aside. The trio of tacos sat untouched across the table from him.

"You know, I’ve been trying real hard lately. Stayin' clean. No more... you know, "bad habits". It's not easy. Some days I feel like I’m just... I don’t know. Like I’m not strong enough. But then, I think about you. How you'd want me to keep going."

His gaze softened as he looked at her shadowy outline in the chair across from him.

"I just hope you're proud of me... I hope I’m doing okay by you."

Charlie sat back in his chair, staring at the plate of tacos, now growing cold.

"You don’t gotta say anything...I get it..."

He mumbled to himself, rubbing his face with one hand.

"I just...wanted tonight to feel normal again."

The waiter returned with the bill, but Charlie waved him away for a moment. He needed just a few more minutes, a little more time in this quiet space where, in his mind, he wasn’t alone.

"I'll always love you, kiddo. I hope, that when I finally make things right between us, you'll be able to love me back..."

And with that, he raised his glass toward the empty seat.

"Here’s to you, Robyn. Always."

The ghostly form remained still, silent as ever, but for Charlie, it was enough.

It was all he had.