CHAPTER 3 — Quiet Corners and Warm Coffee
College drained me.
Not in the way school usually does—tests, deadlines, essays.
But in the way people do, when they hate you quietly.
By the time I stepped out of my last class, the sky was already overcast. Heavy gray clouds pressed down on the city like a warning.
My jacket was thin, my fingers freezing, but i didn’t complain. I never did.
Complaints were for people who had someone to listen to.
I made my way through the gates of Silvergate, passed the lines of luxury cars waiting to pick up students who didn't know the meaning of public transport.
My boots splashed in shallow puddles as i hurried down the cracked sidewalk. A girl with no umbrella. No ride. No one is waiting.
But i was used to that. I was used to everything.
By the time i reached the café, the windows were fogged up, and the smell of roasted coffee beans hit me like a balm. I pushed the door open, and the small bell above chimed softly.
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
Ember, darling! You're soaked!
A warm voice greeted me from behind the counter
Fifty-one. Curvy, kind-eyed, and fiercely protective. Her hair was always tied up in a bun that looked like it could collapse any second, and her apron was dotted with coffee stains and flour.
She had once told me she had run this café for twenty years and that i was the best thing to ever walk through her door.
Ember / FL
I’m okay
*she said, offering a small smile as she wiped her shoes on the mat*
Ember / FL
Just a little rain.
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
*walked around the counter, already holding a towel*
A little? You look like a drowned kitten.
She pulled me into a warm hug, ignoring the damp clothes
For a second—just a second—i let myself lean in.
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
You didn’t eat lunch again, did you?
*she said, pulling back, squinting at her*
Ember / FL
I wasn’t hungry
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
*scoffed*
Lies. All bones and silence, you are.
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
Sit. I’ll make you a sandwich. You can clock in after you’ve eaten something real.
Ember / FL
I can’t let you—
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
Hush now. You let me.
I obeyed, heart warmed more by the affection than the sandwich.
I sat at the small staff table in the back corner while Marla moved like a whirlwind—scolding, slicing, and humming all at once.
The café was quiet, save for the soft murmur of customers and the clinking of cups.
It was always this way mid-afternoon. The regulars sat by the windows—older couples, freelancers with laptops, the occasional lost soul who just needed warmth.
And above all, there was Marla’s presence, like a heart keeping everything safe.
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
Here, now eat.
When the sandwich came, I took small, grateful bites.
Ember / FL
Umm... It's delicious.
Marla stood with her arms crossed, watching me like a proud mother.
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
You remind me of my niece.
*she said suddenly*
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
Same stubborn little face. Same eyes that carry too much.
Ember / FL
Did she work here too?
*smiled softly*
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
No, *she said, her voice is quieter now*
She didn’t get the chance. The world wasn’t kind to her either.
I didn’t ask. I understood the weight of unspoken things.
Ember / FL
It's time to work now
After the food and a cup of tea, i clocked in. Put on my apron. Tied my hair. And slipped behind the counter with practiced grace.
I worked fast, neat, and polite. People liked me here, even if they didn’t know my name. I was the girl who remembered their orders, who smiled softly but never forced conversation.
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
*watched her work like she was watching her own child bloom*
When the evening rush came, I kept up with the pace—pouring espresso, wiping counters, dodging burning glances from customers who looked at me for a second too long.
But Marla noticed. And if anyone’s eyes lingered too much, she stepped in. A shield. A guardian.
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
You’re a rare thing, Ember.
She said later that night, as we cleaned up together.
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
The world is full of people with diamonds in their pockets and coal in their hearts. But you…
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
You’ve got fire in yours. Keep it burning, sweetheart
Ember / FL
*swallowed hard*
It took everything in me not to cry at those words
Because no one had ever called me rare. No one had ever told me to keep burning.
I finished my shift and changed back into my coat. The rain had stopped. The night was quiet
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
Text me when you get home.
*said, handing her a wrapped muffin*
Marla Carter / Cafe Owner
And don’t lie about it.
I stepped out into the night, muffin in my pocket, heart just a little lighter.
Somewhere in this brutal world… someone cared.
And that, for now, was enough.
Comments
Lion 🦁
it feels emotional but kinda boring with ML /Cry//Cry/
2025-08-19
0