Sunset and Vine | Adopted By Elizabeth Olsen

04 | Florence

By Thursday, the weather was back to being rainy and gloomy. The streets of New York City no longer emitted golden warmth, but rather a grayish cold that sunk into your bones and made you freeze from the inside out. Despite being late May, the cloudy weather prevented the metal buildings from reflecting any heat, and some people, were dressed in long pants and coats to keep warm from the breeze of the storm.

Lizzie hadn't been back to Sunset and Vine since that Tuesday morning, and she was craving a hot coffee more than anything the second her eyes opened. She knew she really should've just made one at home and then gone for lunch like she'd planned, but the feeling of scalding coffee on her tongue was to tempting an idea to delay. So, she dressed for the day, complete with black leggings and a white t-shirt, and headed out the door, LA Dodgers baseball cap on her head and same black sunglasses over her eyes. Always in need of a disguise if any ounce of privacy is to be kept for longer then ten minutes. The sad reality of her life at the moment.

The walk was short, only ten minutes, but the cold was biting for this time of year. Although not terrible, Lizzie's cheeks were pink by time she made it into Sunset and Vine. Via was already inside, wiping down tables with her hair thrown up in a ponytail that looked three seconds away from falling back down. When Lizzie opened the cafe door, and the bell chimed, a wave of air conditioning hit her. Oddly enough, it felt comforting, not adding to the existing cold in her bones.

Via looks up from her table, and for a second, Lizzie thinks she might flinch and back away, but instead, her eyes light up and she looks like she's on the edge of sprinting over and wrapping her up in a hug, but she doesn't do that. She just settles for offering the brunette a shy wave and a blush.

"Good Morning, Jay. Good Morning, Barry." Lizzie grins, greeting the couple who are behind the counter. The cafe is still empty at this hour, but by the stacked up receipts Lizzie can tell they've had quite a few grab and gos since opening. "Good Morning, Via."

"Good Morning, Lizzie." Via blushes, looking back down at the table she's wiping off instead of making eye contact with the actress. She can't explain this shyness, that's so different from her typical antsy nervousness, but it's nice. It feels like butterflies in her belly instead of thumbtacks.

"I thought you were coming for lunch, don't cheat me out of an egg salad sandwich!" Barry jokes, throwing a dishrag down on the countertop as she finishes cleaning the espresso machine.

"Woke up craving a coffee, couldn't wait until lunch. Plus, I figured I could spend the day in the book corner. I've just picked up a new one called All The Light We Cannot See." Lizzie smiles, and Jay just shakes her head laughing.

"You and your coffee, Elizabeth." She shakes her head, turning around to begin the order while Lizzie browses the display case for a breakfast idea for Via.

"Hey Jay, what might Via like? I assume she hasn't let you give her anything yet." Lizzie keeps her voice hushed, and Jay smiles fondly at the care in Lizzie's tone and actions. This woman hasn't been hardened by the industry, if anything, she's gotten softer.

"If you're going to get a cream cheese bagel, so will she. Loves those, but rarely lets us give her one." Barry cuts in before Jay can answer, and his wife just nods her encouragement for his idea. "All we managed to get in her Tuesday was the croissant, and we had very little luck yesterday, she was insistent that so much had already been done for her and she was okay." Lizzie frowns, knowing that little girl must be starving by now, and just pushing through it like she thinks she has too. Lizzie hopes she doesn't feel like she deserves that pain, but she can't be so sure about Olivia's thoughts.

"Two cream cheese bagels then, and a hot chocolate. How she likes." Lizzie smiles, pulling her card out of her bag after setting the books she's holding on the counter.