𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 ( 𝑬𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑻𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒐)

𝒐𝒏𝒆

Rain is softly knocking on the stained glass windows that rattle in the winds of the summer storm.

Willow Alcott dips her paintbrush into the old, chipped mug that she only uses for painting ever since her cat had thrown it off the countertop.

Soft music is playing from the old record player that her roomate left behind when she had to go back to Cambridge, taking care of her sick mother for an unknown period of time.

Feeling her cat brush against her arm, demanding a second breakfast with a determined meow, Willow leaves her painting to itself for the time being and follows her cat into the small kitchen.

Today Willow misses her friend and roommate, Ada, more than she usually does.

Rainy days were always Adas favourite in their shared flat, the redhead would spend hours just staring out of the window, watching the raindrops fall from the sky and form puddles on the ground.

Pip, the tortoiseshell cat they got at the local animal shelter would always sit by Adas side not really grasping the humans amazement of the wet and cold weather.

Leaving Ada a quick text message with a picture of Pip playing with an old shoelace, Willow realises in shock that she is already late for work.

Rushing to get on her worn out shoes, throwing her yellow rain coat over her dungarees and t-shirt, she makes sure her painting is safely tugged away and out of reach from Pip's curious paws.

There really isn't any point in trying to stay dry, having to ride her bike through the empty but rainy streets of Brighton she soon gives up at holding up the hood of her jacket and she just lets her blonde hair fly in the wind, drenched in seconds.

"Sorry for being late Maeve", breathlessly Willow announces her arrival at the little café, smiling sheepishly at the only customer that is having a cup of black coffee at one of the window seats.

"No worries honey, as you can see we are not particularly busy today", Maeve smiles brightly at Willow.

For the next week, Maeve is going to leave her beloved café in Willow's capable hands while she goes to visit her family in Ireland.

The two young women met at their course at university where Maeve quickly discovered that she'd much rather follow her dream to open up her own café than continue studying.

Both of them worked hard to renovate the old fish & chips store that they bought from an old man that moved back to London.

Now the place is beautiful, filled with plants and second hand books that customers can bring and take as they please, the walls are painted in bright colours to chase away any dark and rainy day.
Because sadly there are quiet a few rainy days in a year, here in England.

In the summertime the café is usually pretty busy but on rainy days like this even the tourists stay inside their hotels or bed and breakfasts instead of wandering through the little streets of Brighton and popping in for a cup of tea and a piece of homemade cake.

Willow listens intently to her friends instructions, making sure she understands everything she needs to do while she is gone.
Of course Willow knows how to manage the blue Mocha , on many occasions the girl has worked alone in the past year, always happy to help out.

"God it's pouring down", Maeve complains with a frown as if she'd only now realised the heavy rain.

"I know", Willow chuckles and uses the pen she was just doodling with to point to her honey blonde hair, still damp and hanging in her face.

"I should have called and told you to stay home, we are not busy at all and I made you ride your bike through this horrible weather", guiltily the older girl flops down on one of the bar stools and starts to sort through the tea bags.

"It is fine Mae, I know you are nervous about going back home and I am the last person to judge you for it", with a smile Willow briefly touches her friends arm before walking over to their only customer.

"You should drive home now", noticing that Maeve has now started to nervously tear apart old sugar packets.

"Drink a hot cup of tea, take some cake home and try to calm down okay?", gently the blonde girl takes the paper from Maeve's hands and throws it into the thrash.

It only takes a little convincing from Willow to really get Maeve to leave the café and go home, with her being so scared to face her family for the first time after dropping out of university and moving out of student housing and into her own flat with her boyfriend.

Willow understands her friends worries and would like to help her but this is a battle she has to fight alone and Willow can only reassure her that she'll be there to tend her wounds in case she gets hurt.

Just as Maeve opens her umbrella and braces herself for the short sprint to her car that is parked at the end of the street in a non-parking area, the rain stops and the sun starts to creep through the heavy, dark clouds.

Yelling after her that this is a sign for good things to come, Willow waves until her friend disappears behind a row of parked cars and she braces herself for more customers.

Sun always means more business but she is not complaining, loving the conversations she has with lovely customers.

Softly whistling along to the music that is playing from the speakers, Willow twists her hair into a high bun and readjusts the apron, checking her reflection in the large windows of the café.

That's when she spots the crowd that has formed in front of the little jeweler a few stores down from the blue Mocha.

People talk loudly, she could have sworn that she heard some girls squeal in excitement and just like that her curiosity got the best of her and she takes a few steps out of the door and out onto the street.

"I really need to leave now", someone tries to plead, voice laced with a heavy accent that Willow can't place immediately.

Seeing someone push their way through the crowd, clutching two bags of shopping to his chest and scanning his surroundings with wild, dark eyes.

Willow feels bad for him, he reminds her of a deer caught in the headlight of a speeding car, not knowing where to go.

Without thinking twice she waves her hand, trying to catch his attention but not wanting to be too obvious in the case that the crowd decides to follow him.

It takes him a few seconds to see her and then he hesitates just before he reaches her, probably scared that she is just another part of the crowd that somehow took a different path and ended up on the other end of the road.

Willow points to her apron and again to the entrance of the café. Like a spell that's broken he starts to run towards her, dashing past her through the door and towards the counter, hesitating again but then duking behind it.

Now completely out of view from anyone that pases by on the street.

Oh Maeve you are missing out on something, Willow thinks with a smile.