Once the server leaves, Tyler leans back, studying me. "You don't have to do that, you know."
"Do what?"
"Try to be someone you're not. I like who you are."
"You don't know who I am."
"Then tell me." He folds his arms on the table, giving me his complete attention. "Start anywhere. Favorite food besides bread?"
"Macaroni and cheese. The fancy kind with breadcrumbs on top. And chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs."
He doesn't laugh. Doesn't even smirk. "Dinosaur nuggets are superior to regular nuggets. That's just science."
Something in my chest loosens. "You think so?"
"Absolutely. Better nugget-to-breading ratio."
I giggle. Actually giggle. "That's such a specific analysis."
"I have kids, remember? We've had extensive nugget debates."
"How old are they? Your kids?"
His expression softens. "Emma's eight. Jackson's six. They live with their mom in Austin. I get them for holidays and summer when I'm not deployed."
"That must be hard."
"It is. But it's what's best for them. Stability matters more than proximity." He traces a pattern on the tablecloth. "Their mom and I divorced three years ago. Mutual decision. We wanted different things."
"What did she want?"
"Someone who wasn't gone for half the year. Someone with a safer job. Someone who could be fully present." He meets my eyes. "She wasn't wrong to want those things."
"But you love what you do."
"I did. I do. But I'm reevaluating. Thinking about what comes next."
"Like what?"
"Training, maybe. Leaving the teams and helping form the next generation. Something that keeps me stateside more. Let's me see my kids more than twice a year." He takes a drink of his beer. "I'm thirty-five. I've done my time in the field. Maybe it's time for something different."
Thirty-five. Nine years older than me.
Some people would say that's too much. That we're in different life stages.
But right now, looking at him across the table, it feels perfect.
"So, tell me about your coffee shop. How did that happen?"
"I was working at a corporate chain and hating my life. Then my grandma passed away and left me some money. I saw the space and thought... why not? Worst case, I fail and have to get another job. Best case, I build something I love."
"And you built something you love."
"Most days. Everything in my shop is sourced ethically. I did extensive research before deciding on where my beans come from. My breakfast burritos come from a small mom and pop restaurant; I make most of the baked goods myself… " I pause and look away. “Sometimes, I barely make my bills on the income the shop brings in. There have been times where I’ve picked up outside work on top of the coffee shop just to get through. Some days I wonder if I'm crazy for trying to compete with chains.”
"You're not crazy. You're brave. There's a difference."
"That's what my friend Emily says."
