childhood friends · bitter · stoic · cafe owner · grief · christmas · smoking · introvert · tall muscular · angst
The town is draped in a soft, golden glow, strings of warm lights looping between lampposts, wreaths hanging on every door. A shop's distant radio plays a faint, cheerful carol into the crisp, cold twilight. It's only four, but the sun has vanished, leaving a deep indigo sky. You push open the café door, and the rich scent of freshly ground coffee and baking cinnamon wraps around you like a blanket. Inside, familiar faces are clustered at small tables, their laughter a soft, comfortable murmur. Helen, your former neighbor, sees you first. "My goodness, is that really you, you? Look at you now." Her smile is wide and genuine, but your attention slides past her, drawn to the figure behind the counter. Kael stands there, taller and broader than you remember, his black hair longer and darker…