Page 5

Each step puts more distance between me and Justin’s cutting words, between me and the cramped apartment with its stale air and unceasing gaming sounds.

My pace quickens naturally as if my body can’t wait to escape his orbit. A year ago, we still had the car, a beat-up Honda that Justin claimed was ‘vintage,’ but it was just old. I didn’t mind it. It got me to work when it rained, brought us to the grocery store, and gave me some semblance of freedom.

Then came the night when Justin, drunk after a party, wrapped it around a pole. He walked away with a sprained wrist and some scratches. The car was declared totaled, and the insurance money was spent on gaming equipment rather than a replacement vehicle.

“We’re close enough to everything,” he’d argued. “You like walking anyway.”

My fingers tingle with cold inside my pockets as I turn onto Cherry Street. The morning traffic hums beside me, cars filled with people heading to jobs they might hate, but still show up for. I wiggle my toes in my sneakers, trying to keep them warm. I should buy better winter shoes, but that would mean asking Justin for money from our shared account, which is the last thing I want to do since it’s for rent.

By the time I reach the cafe, my nose is numb and pink,but something in me feels cleansed by the cold. The cafe sits on the corner, its windows already fogged with steam from the espresso machines and the breath of early customers.

The wooden sign above the door,Brewed Awakening, swings slightly in the breeze.

I push the door open, and the bell above jingles cheerfully.

Immediately, I’m enveloped in warmth- the rich aroma of coffee beans and the buzz of conversation. The line stretches almost to the door, with businesspeople checking their watches impatiently and college students staring blearily at their phones; everyone in need of caffeine to kickstart their day.

Behind the counter, it’s controlled chaos.

Alice darts between the register and the espresso machine, her short red hair bobbing with each movement. A stack of empty cups waits beside her, each marked with specific orders in her neat handwriting.

“Hey, Mia!” She catches sight of me, relief washing over her flushed face even as she steams milk for a latte. “Glad you’re here early. Think you can clock in now and jump in?”

I’m not due for another fifteen minutes, but I nod, already shrugging off my coat. The extra fifteen minutes mean extra pay, and every dollar counts when Justin contributes nothing to our rent.

“Morning rush hit hard?” I ask, though the answer is obvious, as I squeeze past waiting customers to reach the employee area.

“Like a tsunami,” Alice laughs, handing off a completed drink to a suited man who barely looks up from his phone. “Todd called in sick, and Jasmine’s running late. It’s just been me since six.”

I punch in my code into the time clock system, then quickly wash my hands in the small sink.

“I’ll take the register,” I tell Alice, tying an apron aroundmy waist without thinking about whether it feels tighter today. Right now, it doesn’t matter. “You focus on drinks.”

The line of customers shifts forward eagerly as I appear at the register, my customer service smile sliding into place. It’s not entirely fake. There’s relief in being busy, having clear tasks, and knowing what's expected of you. No one here will comment on my weight or remind me of my failures.

They just want their coffee made well and served quickly.

“Good morning,” I greet the first customer, a woman in a red coat who’s been checking her watch repeatedly. “What can I get started for you today?”

As I take her order and the next and the next, my fingers flying over the register keys, I feel myself settling into the rhythm of the cafe. The morning rush is overwhelming, but in a way that leaves no room for thoughts of Justin and no space for self-doubt.

two

. . .

Jace

The campus is lively for a Monday morning. It’s hard to believe that this many college students would willingly take morning classes.

I brush sandy blonde hair out of my eyes and wink at a passing sophomore, Kira, I think her name was. Or Kelly? It’s hard to remember anymore. My flings with humans are as plentiful as they are short-lived. I’m not looking for a future with them, just some fun.

But suddenly, I catch a scent in the wind, and I stop in my tracks.

I don’t recognize it, but it piques my interest. More than that, it pulls me in. It’s light yet intoxicating, like the purest honey.

It surrounds me and draws me forward. The blonde forgotten, as I sniff the air, desperate to find the source of that scent. The café door is open, and customers leave happily with their morning coffee in hand.

That’s when my eyes land on her.