The Dream Before the Dark ✓

02 | Haven

JEN'S HEART WAS NERVOUSLY FLUTTERING in her chest as she left the school building for the day. The most sane thing to do probably would have been to go straight home and make herself a cup of tea to soothe her troubled mind, but instead she made a beeline for the nearest source of caffeine.

It wasn't actually a good cup of joe that she was seeking out, but she'd surely find that where she was going—she was off to see her friend Celie who managed a little hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that was only a block or so away from St. Catherine's. With the sun hanging low in the sky and a cover of clouds rolling in, the air was even more bitterly cold than it had been when she was heading to work this morning, yet the streets were humming with even more activity now than they were then. The dim glow of the familiar little neon sign labeled Spill the Beans drew Jen in like a lighthouse guiding a ship to shore.

To most people, it was nothing more than an unassuming coffee shop on a busy street corner. But to her, this place was a haven, an everlasting promise of warmth and laughter no matter how friendly or cruel the outside world was being to her on any given day.

She was a regular apparition here, making an appearance once every week or so to catch up with Celie. Aside from when they saw each other at their monthly book club, this was the most convenient way to meet up—Celie got the luxury of not having to go anywhere outside of her regular orbit to see Jen and Jen got the luxury of having a free cup of coffee handed to her by her gracious friend.

She was greeted by the sound of chatter as she opened the door. Spill the Beans was surprisingly busy considering that most people weren't off work for the day quite yet, but she liked it this way. Not just because money going into her friend's pocket was worth celebrating, although that was certainly true, but because throwing herself into a room buzzing with conversation made her feel like she was part of something bigger, like she was a little less lonely. A community of strangers taking joy in something as simple as a drink would never be such a bad thing.

Or perhaps it was simply impossible not to feel cozy in here. The smell of fresh espresso floated through the air, golden lights bathed the space in a peaceful glow, and plush sofas replaced boring metal chairs. The names of the specialty drinks made Jen smile without fail, for it was painfully obvious that a lover of literature had named them—her personal favorites were "To Bean or Not to Bean" and "The Count of Macchiato."

The girls saw each other at nearly the same moment – a more impressive feat on Celie's end considering that her head of curly hair made her fairly easy to spot in a crowd whereas Jen had a tendency to blend in like a chameleon. The former mouthed give me five minutes to her from behind the counter; she nodded and gravitated to their usual spot in the corner.

She carefully lowered herself onto the couch so that the faded leather wouldn't squeak too loudly under her weight. Due to many years of being well-loved, the fabric molded to her shape easily. She sank back against the cushions and tried to banish the memories that wanted to emerge from the corners of her mind, but she had a dreadful feeling that they were only going to become more and more difficult to cast away with each day that passed at this job. She said a silent prayer asking that she'd be proven wrong.

Only a couple of minutes passed before Celie glided over with one hand wrapped around the handle of a ceramic mug that was filled precariously close to the brim. Her hair was slightly frizzy and her apron had a couple of coffee stains on it from helping her baristas during this rush, but the smile on her lips told the world that she loved this messy job of hers even when it wore on her physically.

Her eyes, the same color as the liquid in the cup – made with one cream and one sugar, just the way Jen liked it – sparkled with curiosity as she sat down across from her and passed her the mug.