As the car lurches forward, I close my eyes.Exhaustion tugs at my eyelids.
Just get me to the café.
It’s the only place that feels truly mine.The one thing James hasn’t taken.
Yet.
The cab eases to a stop.My gaze finds Maddy’s Place.Its warm olive-green exterior and black-and-white striped awning bloom like a promise against the steel and glass of downtown Madison.Vibrant green ferns spill from hanging baskets.A splash of life against the city’s harsh edges.Seeing it is like exhaling for the first time in hours.
My haven.
The one place I truly belong.
I remember my first day here.A wide-eyed newcomer.This was just a temporary job.An income until I moved on.But the women in this little café wove themselves into my heart.Eventually, the owner, Mary, announced her retirement and suggested I take over.The responsibility felt monumental.The price tag, unaffordable.But Mary, with her kind heart, adjusted the terms.Still, the cost remained daunting.And that’s where James stepped in.Offering the loan with a loving smile and a contract.
Stupid, stupid girl.
Blinded by what I thought was love, I only skimmed the loan agreement, even though the breakup clause gave me pause.I’d completely forgotten it the moment I slid the key into the lock as the new owner.The empowerment was intoxicating.
Now, it is nothing more than a distant memory.Snatched from me the same way James snatched my keys yesterday.
Panic claws at my throat.
Pushed out of our apartment.
Locked out of my café.
What’s next?
I fling my bag onto the nearest patio table and slump into the wooden chair.My muscles ache, head pounds, and exhaustion overpowers me.I close my eyes, willing the world to fade away.
I can’t think.
I can’t feel.
I can’t even summon the energy to cry.
Resting my forehead on my crossed arms, I drift into an uneasy sleep.The rumble of traffic and the chirping of birds fade into a dull roar.
A gentle nudge to my shoulder startles me awake.I groan, my neck aching and back throbbing.I blink against the sudden sunlight.My mind struggles to catch up with my surroundings.
The café.
I fell asleep out here.
Peering up, I see Helen towering over me, brow furrowed, dark eyes creased with concern.“¡Dios mio, Ames!What are you doing out here?”
I attempt a smile, but my face feels stiff as stone.
“Is everything okay?”she asks more softly.
If only you knew.
I push myself up with great difficulty.“I need to get inside,” I mumble,words thick with sleep.“I’m freezing.”
“Mija…”She pauses, eyes sweeping over me from head to toe.“Why are you wearing James’s tracksuit?And with those shoes?”Helen tsks, shaking her head.“Did you get dressed in the dark?”
Helen has never been one to mince words.It’s why I trust this fiery, middle-aged Latina wholeheartedly.I was so relieved when she accepted the manager position, despite her strong aversion to paperwork.There’s no way I could run this place without her.But right now, she is getting on my last nerve.
