Ask barista for prices.
CapturebyLaney.com
“They’re for sale?” I whispered, not quite able to believe I was seeing my photographs here, in a café, with my name. It had always been a secret dream of mine to display my original photos for people to buy. I loved working events, but these stills were for me. I was always too nervous to try to sell them, so they sat hidden from the world. But here they were, for sale, at a coffee shop. My pulse raced as blood rushed to my ears. This was…
“I’m sorry.” Connor joined me, his shoulders slumped as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I should’ve asked you. I wanted to surprise you, but I know you never explicitly said you wanted this. We can ask them to take them down if you—”
“Absolutely the fuck not.” I faced my husband, my heart pounding out of my chest. “This is the best thing… I love it. So much.”
He blinked. Then he did his head tilt as he narrowed his eyes.
“You like it?”
“Yes, Connor.” I approached him and placed my hands on his chest, my initial shock wearing off as I beamed. “Are you kidding me? My art is on the wall! My photos!”
“You’re the famous Laney?” The barista interrupted our moment.
A flicker of irritation danced through me. Didn’t she know this was a pivotal moment for us?
“No way. Our owner was telling us about her husband and how romantic it was that he wanted to surprise his wife. Man, can I get a photo of you both?” the barista asked.
Connor kissed my forehead before wrapping me in his arms.
The barista snapped our photo with a wild grin, going on about how the owner, Bea, would be so mad she didn’t see the moment I discovered the surprise. Connor handled the conversation, navigating it well without ever taking his hand off me. I couldn’t focus. My mind raced with what this meant.
He had planned this weeks ago. Was this after the weekend away? The last time we really connected about five weeks ago? What did it mean? That he did think about me? Did Petra come up with this idea?
It had been her idea to send us on the weekend getaway, so I wouldn’t put it past her to suggest this…
“Coffee is on the house. Please, order what you want!”
“Laney, you ready?” Connor’s voice was soft, gentle, like he knew this was huge for me and was giving me time to digest it. “Want a cinnamon latte?”
I nodded, not quite in the moment as my thoughts swirled. I had to ask him. I needed to know. I appreciated this so much, so much my stomach ached with longing and regret. How could I leave a man who did this? But then the flip side—how could he do this, plan this surprise, but forget our anniversary?
I felt terrible that I was so unfriendly to the barista, but I at least smiled as Connor bought me the bracelet withSNAPSHOTon it. He slipped it on my wrist, dragging his fingers along my veins in three taps.I love you.
He led us to a booth near the front window, overlooking the snowy street. No one was driving and no one dared to walk in the weather, so the city looked peaceful for a rare moment. The pine trees swayed as snow fell off, and it was such a romantic scene.
“You’ve been speechless. Tell me what’s going on in your beautiful brain.”
I took a sip of the latte and stared at my bracelet, nerves plucking me. He’d been so nervous about the photographs, worried I’d hate what he’d done, and I wanted to reassure him it was fine. That it was great. But that wasn’t honesty, and I had put his feelings first for years.
“I’m amazed.” I shrugged and chewed my lip, staring out the window and watching smoke come out the chimney from a house across the street. “Truly, the act of doing this is so thoughtful and wonderful.”
He swallowed, nodding, but his brows furrowed. “I sense abutcoming.”
This part was hard. He could recoil or fight back or be insulted. I took a breath. “I have questions.”
“Please, ask any of them. I can read your expressions, Laney.” He sipped his usual black coffee with oat milk and stared right back at me. He made no moves to look at his phone or outside, just me.
“Was this your idea?”
He frowned. “Yes. Who… else?”
“Did you plan it alone?”
He nodded with a confused look. “Of course, I did.”
