IX - Present: A Fresh Start

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PRESENT DAY

Waking up in the morning has always given you a good feeling.

Choosing this flat had been a good idea. You feel this each time the warmth of the morning sun falls perfectly in place to wake you up, not too hot and not too bright, and you barely ever need a thick set of curtains to cover the windows and block the sunlight away.

But the one thing that you love the most is the fact that all you have to do is push yourself up the bed to be able to look out the window each morning to see the perfect view of the park and the river nearby, just across the street from your flat. It serves as the perfect sight to relish on as you prepare yourself to work. Watching people doing their morning runs and passing by the side of the park to go about their day is uplifting in its own way.

Though it only works that way in the morning or daytime, because looking out to that side of the street at night are often too scary and too dark that you always keep all the curtains closed tight.

It doesn't take you long to get ready for work.

Just an hour later, you are locking the door to your flat and ready to walk down the street, giving short greetings to your friendly neighbours as you walk past by.

Then, just like always, you find yourself taking a quick detour right after you got off the subway instead of heading straight to the small art gallery you are working at to have your quick breakfast.

A smile grows on you as the diner comes into sight. You cannot exactly remember what it was that had pulled you in to visit the diner on that first morning. You had been walking down these streets for months without even giving a glance at this place until it happened, your legs pulling you to enter this place as your stomach begged to have its morning fill.

But you do remember the reason why you keep coming back.

Stepping into the diner has somehow made you feel like you are coming home. You cannot tell why, though you figure it might be due to the way its interior is set up, making it look more like a family-friendly place instead of just a regular diner for city workers and townspeople.

And then there is the food and their signature black coffee that will always remind you of home-of your mother's cooking, to be exact. Their pancake and sausage meal deal and their bacon and eggs have always smelled delightful. They taste just as wonderful as well. But your favourite would be their waffles, mixed in with their in-house yoghurt, the one choice of menu which had the waitress raising her eyebrows the first time you ordered it.

Living in the city and away from your family has always made you feel homesick, but you have found that this place helps you a lot to make you feel better about it. Sitting in the booth you regularly choose each morning, you look out the window. People watching has always been a thing that you love doing, for some reason. Not knowing anything about the people you see leaves you wondering about their lives, about what places they are going to or where they are coming from, and what stories they carry with them. It always helps to fill the void that you have constantly been feeling whenever you do these things.

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