Coffee Shop | Elizabeth Olsen

2: Safe Space

I have been going to the same coffee shop every time Robbie and I argued for a month now. And that's at least three times a week. So I've become somewhat of a regular now. Which is strange, I don't normally go to the same place a lot in case paps pick up on it and then it gets ruined for me. But the family-run business has become a safe haven from all of that. I have my usual table and my usual order.  

"Thank you, Annabella," I say as she sets my tea and muffin down without even having to order it at this point. "Your welcome my dare." She says sweetly like she always did. "Do you have the recipe for these muffins? They've become a midnight craving of mine." I admit to her before she can walk off. Honestly, these muffins are the highlight of my day, they make everything in the world less shitty. Okay, maybe not everything but they're good. "Oh it's my daughter's recipe, I could ask her to write it out for you." She says pointing over her shoulder to the young women carrying trays of drinks and food around. She did it like a dance each movement was so clean and elegant, she never dropped anything. She was always carrying more than she probably should but it seemed so effortless to her. "Please, that would be great." I smiled back at her sweetly. She nodded before leaving. I don't think she knew who I was she was a little older than my typical fans which made it easier to hide here. Her daughter was sweet too she just acted like I was a normal person which was refreshing, though she avoided coming over it was normally Annabella who helped me. 

"Nell, could you come here for a second." I hear her mum call out as she walked back, she nodded as she set the last coffee down and turned to her mother. I enjoyed my tea and muffin whilst doing some work on my computer. I might as well make use of my time whilst I'm here. As much as I love people watching it's just not the most effective use of my time when I have a ton of emails that need answering. 

"Hi, Um, mum said you asked for this?" She handed me a card with a recipe on it for the muffins. I frowned. "Is this the original, I can take a picture of it?" "No it's okay, I have them all memorised by now and mum has laminated versions in the back for when I'm not in." She says softly. It's like she knew I had spent my morning being screamed at her voice was always delicate with me. "Thank you so much." "Your welcome." And she was off clearing tables again. It was lovely of them to give me this, it's a business after all. 

"NELL!" The teenager ran in with a bag on her back, she jumped up on Nell who caught her. They shared a short embrace as the teenager slid down her older sister's body due to the fact she was still holding a tray of drinks in one hand. "Missed you, Bug." She ruffled her hair. An older man walked in, not old enough to be the teenager's dad unless he had her young that is. And another man followed close behind him. "Tony!" Annabella went over to greet them. I looked around the shop and found what I was looking for. A picture of the family, two older sons a daughter and a baby, Annabelle and a man... I assume their father, probably works elsewhere. So they must be her brothers. 

---------

NELL'S POV

"How was she?" I asked my brother nervously. Cassie my sister went to stay with Tony my older brother for a week to help her cope with everything that was going on with our family right now. She seemed happier when she came in, though that could have been she was just happy to see mum and me who unfortunately couldn't go on the trip with her. My oldest brother Jr took the trip with her he wasn't working currently. He's a football coach at a high school so everyone's on summer break right now lucky for him. 

"She was quiet. Very quiet." Tony tells me as he washed his hands to come and help out. "Did she eat?" He nodded. "Sleep?" "Kind of, I'd wake up and catch her downstairs a lot of the time but she seemed okay." I nodded chewing my lip. "Stop stressing okay." "She's our baby sister, I don't like her feeling like this." "We're all feeling like this our dad." I held my hand up stopping him from talking, I didn't want to hear it again. "Nell you have to accept it at some point." "Not today I don't," I say tossing his apron at him.