Café De Novo


He hadn’t heard from her in three weeks, two days, nineteen hours and forty-three minutes, now. He pulled up his sleeve just enough to glance at his cheap, knock-off Rolex watch. It was approaching 8:00a.m. He walked along the thin, one-way street, sticking to the sidewalk - barely wide enough to cater for two people to comfortably pass each other by. So many of the doors he passed were closed, with boards of wood over the windows. One lonely door stood open amongst the forest of closed stores. A faint waft of coffee blew out the doors. Gazing up to the rather dark clouds overhead and feeling a drop fall onto his nose, he made his way into the café.

“How long will I do this?”

“Morning, Noah.” the waitress called out shyly.

“Morning, Sarah.” he replied as he sat down at his favourite table in the far corner.

The rain was gradually becoming more frequent now; a few drips slowly making their long journey down the front window. Noah noted the cat slowly walking past then jumping at the drop that had fallen onto its. Sarah shuffled slowly to the table and put a cup down lightly, filled with a creamy cappuccino and a pink heart-shaped marshmallow on the side.

“Will he ever look at me the same way?”

Noah knew how Sarah felt about him; he just wasn’t sure how to approach it. He knew that the three weeks, two days, nineteen hours and… now fifty-seven minutes since he heard from Natalie would just keep increasing. He was just looking for excuses now – excuses from a clearly good thing trying to get into his life in the form of Sarah.

“You can’t bring back the dead… but it still hurts like hell.”

As she walked back to the counter, Sarah nervously straightened out some creases in her apron that she had noticed. Every day for weeks now, she’d observed Noah longingly from behind the tall counter, trying to read him. She knew he was sad, and she knew why. “I want to do something, but I don’t know what will help… I want to care for him, and love him. We both knew she didn’t” she said to herself upon observing this inner sadness for the first time.

“I can help him… I know it… Why can’t he see it, too?”

The teaspoon sat amongst the froth of the cappuccino, now almost overtaken by it. Noah picked it up and stirred slowly. He had no reason not to take his time anymore. He knew Nat didn’t feel the same, but he still felt helpless for every breathing moment that he was by her side after that car had hit her. He felt guilt, which essentially kept this feeling in place. He needed to move on… but how?

“This is just like the epilogue to a sad novel…”

It was rare for anyone else to ever come in besides Noah. Occasionally the old gentleman with the grey cotton suit held over his left shoulder would come by and spend time looking pensive, but that was it. How the café even stayed open was beyond Sarah. She looked down to the novel she had been reading lately; of course, another romance that ended happily. She looked over at Noah carefully, watching the hand with the spoon move ever so slowly.

“Why can’t I have that movie-script ending, too?”

The hands of the clock ticked ever so slowly as Noah kept stirring nonchalantly. It felt like forever, but it was already approaching 3:30p.m. – closing time. His mobile phone chimed gently as he received yet another message offering “Free* happiness within minutes! *Standard rates apply after a monthly $5.50 fee.” He looked up at Sarah, and saw her looking right back.

“… She is the one I need. I can see it in her eyes.”

Her eyes sparkled as she could feel herself blush gently. “T-the usual, Noah?” she asked politely.

“I think… I might try something different today” he answered, shocking himself in the process, and apparently Sarah as well, judging from the momentary look on her face.

She made her way back over to his table, carrying a menu in hand. As she approached, there was a certain look in his eyes that Sarah hadn’t seen before. It was almost as if…

“Has he… finally noticed?”

As he reached out slowly for the menu, Noah’s hand touched Sarah’s. Her skin was soft and warm, as he expected. His eyes naturally followed her arm up to her neck, and then across the contours of her chin. Her mouth. Her nose. Then eventually her eyes. They looked as soft and warm as her skin, and so much more inviting. They sparkled as the two were still, dazed by what had happened.

Noah got to his feet, still holding the menu and Sarah’s hand. She watched as he moved, still in shock. Then and there, Noah moved towards her and swept her into a great hold of longing, sadness, happiness. Sarah’s arms naturally moved up to hold Noah closer, then she softly leaned her head into the curve of his neck.

One thought went through both of their minds as they stood motionless in that moment’s embrace:

“This is the first day of my new life.”

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