Can You Hear the Ocean?

Chapter 3

"What do you think the plan should be today?" Leila asked Fuji. The fat gray tabby was comfortably sitting on her lap as she sipped on her morning cup of coffee. He glanced up at her with his bright green eyes and let out a quiet mew.

"You're right. I think heading down to the beach and grabbing some breakfast does sound good," Leila replied. "Thank you for the wonderful suggestion," she told the cat, giving him some chin scratches as a reward.

Living alone often meant Leila had free time galore, and while she found ways to spend it with family and friends, every once in a while, she had a weekend where she didn't know what to do with herself, which led to asking suggestions from her cat. For the most part, living on her own didn't bother Leila, especially during the work week, but it was during the long, summer weekends that occasionally the loneliness would creep in. Getting out and distracting herself always seemed to help.

Leila threw on a light sundress and drove her car down to the beach once more. While it was tempting to head to breakfast right away, she noticed that the beach hadn't filled with tourists yet and decided a walk should take priority. Though morning, the air was already growing hot and humid, so Leila walked along the shore, allowing the cool waves to wash over her feet. She smiled out over the water, suddenly feeling a rush of nostalgia as she fondly remembered her childhood days spent at the beach playing in the sand.

A strange emotion bubbled inside Leila, one she could not describe. Despite walking along one of the beaches she had frequented as a child, it felt foreign to her in a sense. Since moving home from college, nothing had felt the same as when she had left it, despite nothing changing much. Frustrated, Leila decided her empty stomach was causing her to feel these thoughts and decided to leave the serene seashore behind.

The shops were already bustling with people. Leila navigated through the crowds on the sidewalk until her eyes caught on a café sign in the distance: Café Cappuccino. She remembered frequenting the spot once or twice, either with her friends or on a bad date, but she recalled they made a good omelet, and their coffee wasn't bad either.

Leila stepped inside the busy shop. A stern-looking man approached her with a round golden nameplate that said "Todd."

"How can I help you?" he asked.

"Table for one. Is it possible for me to get a seat on the patio?" she asked.

The man, Todd, glanced out the window, then nodded. "Looks like you got the last one. Follow me," he said, leading her through the maze of tables out onto the patio. Once again Leila was greeted by warm, salty air. She sat comfortably at the table, thanked the man as he handed her the menu, and began combing through it, trying to remember which omelet she had ordered the occasions she had come here.

Leila glanced up, noticing families eating together or couples enjoying a morning breakfast. She knew she couldn't be the only one sitting alone, and yet, she felt her shoulders curl forward slightly, as if she was trying to hide herself in the sea of people so no one would take note of her solitude.

"Did I get the one with green onions or the one that had avocado?" Leila murmured to herself as she tried to decide between two omelet options that looked enticing to her.

A hand gently set a water glass down in front of her.

"Thank you," Leila murmured, her eyes still glued to the menu.

"Can I get you anything?" the waitress asked.

There was some familiarity to her voice that Leila couldn't quite put a finger on. She thought nothing of it and instead began asking a question. "Do you recommend the cheddar bacon omelet or..." Her voice drawled off as she looked up and finally made eye contact with the waitress. Leila's jaw nearly dropped. "Mia?!"