𝐁eyond the Lens - b.e

14 -

The next morning, Ellie opened her eyes, feeling heaviness in her entire body. The fatigue from the day before still lingered. Her muscles, especially her arms and shoulders, reminded her that concert photography was no walk in the park. She slowly sat up in bed, her hair a mess and her eyes half-closed, thinking of Joan, who liked to joke that "being a photographer is easy, you just stand there taking pictures."

"If only," she murmured, recalling her evening spent running from one end of the stage to the other to get the best angles. But she had no regrets. She had captured magical moments the night before, and despite the fatigue, she felt fulfilled.

Ellie got up gently and took a moment to stretch before heading to the bathroom. After a quick shower, she began her morning ritual. No matter where she was, Ellie always took the time to dress carefully. She liked to look neat and organized, even if her style was a bit... let's say, unique.

She looked at herself in the mirror, amused by her outfit. "Another sweatshirt from a 7-year-old," she thought. Each day, she wore a different sweatshirt, but they were always a bit too large for her, often featuring quirky prints. Today, it was a blue sweatshirt with a huge dinosaur that seemed straight out of a 90s cartoon. Her jeans were just as unusual. They probably belonged to an old man who weighed three times her size. Ellie loved them: baggy and comfortable. Altogether, it created a slightly childish, slightly offbeat look, but completely Ellie.

Dressed and ready, she stepped out of the bathroom, grabbed her backpack, and slipped her camera inside in case she stumbled upon interesting scenes along the way. Today, there was no concert to photograph until the evening, so she had the whole day ahead of her to explore the city. New York. Just the mention of that name filled her with excitement.

Since she was little, she had dreamed of visiting the city that never sleeps. Her mother had talked about it so much; it was her favorite city. Every time she spoke about it, her eyes sparkled, as if New York was more than just a city to her, as if she had left a part of her soul there. Ellie smiled at the thought. Her mother had always been a dreamy woman, with a vivid imagination and a passion for the simple things in life. But there was one particular place in New York that her mother loved more than anything.

It was a little bookstore café, tucked away somewhere in the city's streets. Her mother used to go there often to study during her college years. It was there that she met the true love of her life. No, not Ellie's father. That jerk had left her mother seven years after Ellie was born, after cheating on her multiple times without remorse. No, the true love of her mother was a boy she met in high school, a boy who supported her throughout her studies and even afterwards.

Unfortunately, he was no longer in this world. He had died in a tragic car accident, and on that day, it was her mother who was driving. Ellie remembered the tears in her mother's eyes every time she spoke of that event. She had never recovered from it. She often told Ellie that you only meet one true love in a lifetime, and for her, it was him.

Ellie sighed as she thought about all of this. The mission for the day was clear: find that famous café her mother had talked so much about. This place seemed almost mythical to her, and she hoped with all her heart to find it, not only to honor her mother's memory but also to feel a little closer to the woman she admired so much.

As she left the hotel, Ellie was instantly overwhelmed by the energy of New York. People walked quickly, yellow taxis honked, and skyscrapers seemed to touch the sky. Every street corner offered a new scene to capture. She took out her camera and began snapping a few pictures: passersby, iconic buildings, everyday life scenes that radiated the city's unique intensity.

She vaguely remembered her mother's descriptions: a warm place, filled with books, with soft lighting and a small terrace where you could sit and watch people go by. Ellie wandered through the streets, letting her instincts guide her. The more she walked, the more she felt a certain familiarity with this city she had never visited. It was as if, through her mother's stories, she had already lived here.

After turning several street corners and crossing various neighborhoods, she finally spotted a small café that matched the description. Her heart leapt in her chest. The façade was modest, almost hidden between two tall buildings. A small terrace with a few tables was set up outside, and through the windows, she could see shelves full of books lining the walls.

"This is it," she whispered to herself.

She approached slowly, as if afraid the place would disappear if she got too close too quickly. Upon entering, a warm aroma of coffee and old paper enveloped her. The décor was exactly as her mother had described, and she had a photo of her there that confirmed it; it was just as she remembered: warm, intimate, with a calm atmosphere perfect for reading and studying. She took a seat at a table by the window, placing her bag beside her.

For a few minutes, Ellie let her thoughts wander. She imagined her mother sitting at that same table, immersed in her books, perhaps with a smile on her lips thinking of the love she had found there. The weight of the memories was palpable, but Ellie also felt comforted.

She took a sip of her coffee, savoring the moment.

Then, looking around, she wondered if she too would someday find a love as deep as the one her mother had known. This thought made her smile. For now, love wasn't her priority, but it was nice to think she was walking in her mother's footsteps, perhaps even living similar moments.

After a moment of contemplation, she got up, paid for her coffee, and left the bookstore café with a sense of fulfillment. It felt as if a loop had closed. She had accomplished what she had promised to do upon arriving in New York: find a piece of her mother's story. And now, she felt ready to continue on her own path.

Back at the hotel, she took a little time to rest before preparing for the second night of the concert. Ellie felt that something had changed in her since the day before. She felt more confident, more at peace with her decisions. Tonight, she would once again capture the magic of a Billie concert, but this time, she would do it with a calm spirit, ready to fully embrace this new adventure.

She slipped on her sweatshirt, adjusted her backpack, and prepared to return to the frenzy of New York, the city where everything seemed possible.