Flowing 004

Butterfly

Necklace

Coffee

Pastry

Blender

The roar of the blender mixed with the uneven chatter of conversation created a cacophony that overwhelmed my senses. My breath hitched as I tried to numb my surroundings. Did you know that some people have the ability to change the shape of the lens in their eyes, causing their vision to go blurry? Well, I am one of those people. I let the pressure build below my eyes and my view went hazy.

“Extra hot flat white for Sophia, oat milk.” Air filled my lungs again as I breathed in and let everything come back into focus. I hissed through my teeth as my finger burned from the hot contents of the thin paper cup. When heated, the lining of togo cups may give you cancer. I cast the thought aside with a, well we’re all going to die anyways. Why fight the fight?

The malleable plastic lid snapped onto the cup, and I slipped a sleeve around its body to save my fingers. My gaze flickered across the room: the tables were full of people working on laptops and others with friends or lovers chatting away. In a set of leather chairs near the door sat a middle aged woman who was speaking too loudly to the man across from her who was fumbling with his pastry. Crumbs danced down onto his crisply pressed shirt, falling in a impressive display on his dark trousers.

I passed by them as I leaned into the door with my shoulder and the din of cafe was replaced with the hum of the street. Near an arbor covered in some type of flowering, very delightful smelling plant was an empty table with two chairs. I made a move towards it, just as a woman beside by stepped forward at the same time. We both stopped and looked at each other, pausing. Her eyes were the colour of a dark caramel, framed by the longest natural lashes I’ve ever seen. Her eyes seemed to twinkle as she smiled at me, “oh, you can sit there. I’ll wait.” 

I was frozen, dazzled. A dimple formed on the right side of her cheek. It caught my attention for several seconds before I realized I hadn’t said anything. 

“It’s ok, you can have it.” I felt as if I were fumbling with my words. Her smile deepened, but neither of us said anything else for several breaths. While still maintaining eye contact, in my periphery I caught sight of her necklace, glinting golden in the sun. I think she saw my attention shift as left hand rose to caress it, slowly. I looked down to it, the tiniest of charms hung on the chain. A 3-dimensional butterfly with delicate little wings.

My gaze lingered another moment, then traveled back to her face. Her smile, dazzling like a thousand gossamer wings in the morning sun. 

“Sit with me?” the dimple returned.