Balancing Protective Love

Collision

Linda had always loved her mornings at the little café near her apartment. It was her quiet time, a chance to relax before the day's chaos began. On this particular morning, she was lost in thought as she sipped her vanilla latte, scrolling through her emails, when someone walked right into her, nearly knocking her coffee out of her hand.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" a deep voice said.

Linda looked up to see a tall, athletic guy with comforting brown eyes and an apologetic smile. He was holding a cup of coffee, clearly just as distracted as she had been. "No worries," Linda replied with a small laugh, steadying herself. "I was pretty zoned out too."

He smiled back, and for a moment, they just stood there, neither sure what to say next. "I'm Alex," he finally said, offering his hand.

"Linda," she responded, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you, Alex. Let's try not to collide again."

He chuckled. "Deal."

They exchanged a few pleasantries, but with the café getting busier, they went their separate ways. Linda returned to her table, and Alex headed to the counter. She didn't think much of the encounter, chalking it up to one of those random city moments. But she couldn't quite shake the image of his smile.
"So pretty", she mumbled to herself.

A few days later, Linda decided to hit the gym after work, needing to blow off some steam after a long day. She was mid-workout, completely focused, when she noticed someone familiar out of the corner of her eye. It was the same guy from the café—Alex.

This time, he was on the weight bench, lifting with ease. Linda smiled to herself, amused by the coincidence. After finishing her set, she headed to the water fountain, and as fate would have it, Alex walked over at the same time.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite coffee collision partner," Alex said, grinning as he grabbed his water bottle.

Linda laughed, shaking her head. "You again? Are you following me?"

He raised his hands in mock defense. "Hey, I was here first this time! But maybe I'm just drawn to where all the best people hang out."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "So, what brings you to this fine establishment?"

"Trying to stay in shape," he said, gesturing to the weights behind him. "It's a nice break from work."

Linda nodded. "I hear you. I usually come here to clear my head after a long day."

"Same here," Alex replied. "Maybe we should work out together sometime—keep each other motivated."

Linda paused, considering it. She didn't usually work out with others, preferring to go at her own pace, but Alex seemed easygoing and fun. "Sure, why not?"

Alex laughed. "Deal. How about next week?"

"Sounds good," Linda agreed. "I'll see you then."

As they went their separate ways, Linda felt a little flutter in her stomach. She wasn't sure if it was from the workout or the idea of spending more time with Alex. Either way, she was looking forward to their next encounter.