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17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHT1mnHMIq
Talia poured coffee like her body was running on autopilot.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeChyJoeDs
Customer. Mug. Smile. Repeat.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuR1FJEkDkI
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.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGETOPprP1
She barely spoke unless someone asked for something. Even then, it felt like moving underwater.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWErfQGh58
Nobody noticed. Or maybe they did and just didn’t care.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvqVx0IfR6
Except Jonas.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1ls4mqDxu
He always sat in booth three, always ordered black coffee and a grilled cheese. And always said, “Thanks, Talia,” like her name meant something.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJFIlfm5kG
Today, he looked at her longer than usual.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCO1Dt83ePF
“You okay?” he asked.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpRVf8D4ZG
She blinked. A full second passed before she gave him her usual answer:
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ551numFRrW
“Yeah.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswDD28j1Es
He didn’t push. Just nodded.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6GJSisINE
But after he left, she found a napkin folded under his coffee cup.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBOzJMvbfj
It said:
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYT30JtaqZ
“You don’t look fine. If you ever want to talk, I’m always in booth three.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqfenmdenE
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmQMGtUOIK
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnzio4su0K
She didn’t know whether to cry or tear it up.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBdmKfNW1h
So she put it in her pocket and kept pouring coffee.
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