i miei amori- my loves
Ecco la mia preziosa bambolina-There's my precious little doll
Latte Love and Lullabies
MILLIE
We’ve been homein Cherry Falls for a month now, and everything between Gabriel has fallen into place so easily. The transition back to our regular lives after Italy was surprisingly smooth—almost like no real time had passed at all.
Gabriel has been a more of a regular at the café ever since we returned, showing up every day without fail. I catch myself watching the door every morning, heart skipping when he walks in—like clockwork—his presence instantly warming the space around me.
I love the small moments with him that feel like our secret routine. He always orders something simple but indulgent, and I’ve looked forward to his visits more than I ever expected.
Those quiet exchanges, the subtle smiles, the way his eyes search for mine across the room—they’re becoming my favorite part of the day, a soft thread weaving us together in this busy world.
One day, he arrived at the café with Aura in tow, and they stayed from breakfast until we closed. It was the sweetest thing, watching them together, both of them so at ease, sharing an unspoken bond that makes myheart ache.
After that day, I set up a play-n-play in my office so she would be more comfortable.
It all feels like the beginning of something more permanent between all of us, though we hadn’t yet decided how to navigate our relationship publicly.
There’s a delicate tension in the air—a mixture of hope and hesitation—as we tread carefully, guarding what’s fragile but full of promise.
I’m standing behind the counter at the café when Gabriel walks in. As always, he greets me with that boyish grin that has a way of lighting up my world. I walk up to him without hesitation, bringing my hand to his defined jaw. He melts into my touch, his lips curving up into a smile that has my stomach fluttering.
He moves and rests his head on my shoulder, wrapping me up in a hug that feels like home, something I never realized I needed. His presence grounds me. “I missed you, Bumper,” he whispers into my hair, his words soft and sincere.
In that moment, all the chaos and uncertainty of life fades away. There’s only him, only us, wrapped in this fragile bubble of comfort. It’s a feeling I want to hold on to forever.
We haven’t spent much time together recently, with my work at the café and his schedule, but every morning when he comes home from work, we share a brief but intense connection. It’s not much, but it’s the start of something bigger.
Something that feels right.
Our time together feels natural, and even though everything is moving so fast, I can’t help but feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
I love Gabriel, and I love Aura like my own daughter. The idea of building a life with them is a dream I never thought I’d have the privilege of living.
Gabriel takes his usual seat by the display case, his back turned toward the café. As I approach him with his drink, a memory from our trip to Italy comes flooding back. He asked me to make hima proper Italian cafe latte when we got home, and I did my best to replicate it.
But when I first tried it, it was a disaster. The froth was wrong. The temperature was off, and the coffee didn’t quite hit the right notes. I told him it wasn’t good enough to serve, but he simply shrugged and said, “Well, Bumper, that would be because you don’t have the right coffee beans.”
I had felt utterly defeated, but within a few days, a delivery truck showed up at the café, unloading three pallets full of authentic Italian coffee beans—each one with its own unique flavor.
It was the start of something new for me, and I swore to perfect the latte for him.
As I set down the now-perfect latte in front of him, I smile. “Here’s your latte, love.” I say, a teasing edge to my voice. Gabriel looks up at me, a grin forming on his lips as he takes the cup from me.
“Latte Love,” he murmurs, raising the cup in a small toast, it’s become our thing now, and I’m not sure when it happened but I’ve decided that when we decide to make our relationship public, I’ll offer the “Latte Love” permanently on the menu. It feels like the perfect tribute to our love.
I imagine customers coming in one day, asking about the name, and me telling the story of how a simple cup of coffee became a symbol of our journey—of love found in the every day.
It feels like more than just a drink. It feels like hope, like home, like the beginning of forever.
