Unexpected

In the Café

We ordered our drinks and waited for them to be served. While we waited, Lucy and James chatted away with ease, their conversation flowing effortlessly. On our side, however, there was an awkward silence. I wasn’t the type to initiate conversation—but if the other person said even a single word, I could carry it forward with ease. Unfortunately, neither of us spoke, and the silence between us began to grow heavier by the minute.

Finally, after a few long moments, Eric broke the silence with a simple “Hi.” But just as I opened my mouth to respond, my phone rang. It was an important call, so I quickly excused myself and stepped away to answer it.

After the call, I returned to the table and leaned toward Lucy. “I need to leave,” I told her.

She looked surprised. “Why so suddenly? Did something happen?”

“There’s someone very special—very important—who’s come to see me,” I replied with a smile. “I need to go.” I added that I had already paid for our drinks and walked out of the café.

With a glow on my face, I hurried toward the entrance. There, just outside the gate, I saw them—two familiar figures waiting patiently. I ran to them and wrapped them in a tight hug. It had been six long months since I’d last seen my parents. Ever since I moved to the city for my studies, they had remained in the village, and this reunion felt like a dream come true.

A moment later, I noticed someone approaching from the corner of my eye. It was Eric, holding a cup of coffee. My heart skipped a beat. My pulse quickened, and nervousness surged through me. He was definitely coming toward me—and I panicked. I had never introduced any boy to my parents before, not even as a friend.

Eric walked up to us and handed me the coffee. “It would be a waste if no one drank it,” he said gently.

I nodded, too flustered to say much.

Then, out of nowhere, my dad turned to me and asked, “Your boyfriend?”

I froze. A blush crept up my cheeks, and I could feel the heat rising. I had to speak before my silence said too much.

“No, Dad,” I said quickly. “He’s just a friend.”

But my dad wasn’t done. “You like him, don’t you?”

In that moment, a thousand thoughts rushed through my mind. Should I confess? Should I wait? Do I even know him well enough yet? To avoid answering directly, I smiled and said, “Of course I like him, but not more than I like you two.”

I glanced at Eric. His expression shifted—soft, maybe even hopeful. It felt like he’d been waiting for an answer to that question too.

Then, to my utter surprise, my dad turned to him and asked, “If you don’t mind, would you like to join us? We were about to go out for dinner.”

My mind went completely blank.

Eric smiled and replied politely, “Maybe next time, Uncle. I heard from Lucy it’s been a while since you’ve all had time together.”

We exchanged goodbyes, and then parted ways—he toward the café, and I, walking away with my parents, feeling the stir of something new lingering in the air.

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