545Please respect copyright.PENANALaMtsEYN9t
Talia poured coffee like her body was running on autopilot.
545Please respect copyright.PENANArt0IjjHLCc
Customer. Mug. Smile. Repeat.
545Please respect copyright.PENANAyX5Oq39Nbz
The diner buzzed around her like a film she was watching from the outside. She could hear laughter, clinking dishes, the cook shouting out orders. But it didn’t reach her.
545Please respect copyright.PENANAiWsiSPtNah
She barely spoke unless someone asked for something. Even then, it felt like moving underwater.
545Please respect copyright.PENANA675fuOkGvF
Nobody noticed. Or maybe they did and just didn’t care.
545Please respect copyright.PENANAAMMTuFNHd7
Except Jonas.
545Please respect copyright.PENANAheSNRY3ekr
He always sat in booth three, always ordered black coffee and a grilled cheese. And always said, “Thanks, Talia,” like her name meant something.
545Please respect copyright.PENANA4agnUimhQ2
Today, he looked at her longer than usual.
545Please respect copyright.PENANA0sfTO8sBgA
“You okay?” he asked.
545Please respect copyright.PENANAnqua4Z6lPo
She blinked. A full second passed before she gave him her usual answer:
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“Yeah.”
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He didn’t push. Just nodded.
545Please respect copyright.PENANAFK8oa4UUUe
But after he left, she found a napkin folded under his coffee cup.
545Please respect copyright.PENANARyCleRptdB
It said:
545Please respect copyright.PENANAV8NXyi02Lk
“You don’t look fine. If you ever want to talk, I’m always in booth three.”
545Please respect copyright.PENANAajyDXuEQZp
545Please respect copyright.PENANACOgFV50P5s
545Please respect copyright.PENANAiu7sWiuM4F
She didn’t know whether to cry or tear it up.
545Please respect copyright.PENANAsbcL22Wr4e
So she put it in her pocket and kept pouring coffee.
ns216.73.217.39da2


