Out of the shadows

Chapter 4: Finding place

Bailey

Two weeks later

Two weeks had passed since my feet hit California soil, but it felt like a blur of paperwork, lines, and long, repetitive instructions. "Fill out this, bring back that"—it seemed endless, and all I could think was, Isn't this supposed to be the easy part?
But slowly, the chaos was starting to feel like a rhythm, a song building to some new beginning I was still piecing together. And I couldn't believe that I finally made it. I'm here for god's sake ! The fresh start I always dreamed of. I feel that at any moment now I would wake up and everything will vanish. But fuck, I'm going to live this new life and enjoy every second of it.

I thought finding a job would be simple, but I was wrong. Half the places I applied to had enough staff already, and the other half wanted someone with "at least two years of experience." And that's how I found myself scrolling through Facebook in frustration, searching for any place within walking distance of the dorm that wouldn't care I'd only been eighteen for a week and a half.
Then I saw it: an ad for a new café, just a few blocks from where I'd be living. No experience required, it said. Newcomers welcome. And that was it, I didn't need more. I'd messaged them immediately.

So now, here I was, standing outside an unfinished building that didn't look much like a café yet, squinting to read the tiny, handwritten sign on the door. It read, "Come on in!" A second later, I heard laughter from inside—a man's deep laugh mingled with a woman's, higher and a bit playful. I took a deep breath, brushing imaginary lint off my shirt, then pushed the door open.

The space was warm with the smell of wood and fresh paint, though the walls still bore that primer color, a dull white that hadn't yet decided what it wanted to be. There were ladders propped up against the walls, and boxes scattered everywhere, but the heart of the place was right there in front of me: a couple, arm in arm, smiling as they turned to greet me.

"You must be Bailey!" the woman said, her eyes lighting up. She looked to be in her forties, with short, curly red hair that seemed to Mary her fiery personality perfectly. She wore a bandana tied around her head, paired with a white tee and smudges of paint on her low rise jeans, and the warmth of someone who'd seen enough life to be gentle with it, she was beautiful. "I'm Cecily, but please call me Cecy. And this tall fellow here is Aaron, my husband." She nudged her husband with a teasing smile.

Aaron grinned, extending a hand. "We're so glad you came by, you're the first person who responded to our ad," he said, his voice steady and kind. He had a warm, grounding presence about him that made me feel at ease instantly.

"Oh, thanks for having me," I said, shaking his hand. "I, uh, I know the place isn't finished yet, but I love the vibe already." And I truly did, I glanced around, noticing a big chalkboard they'd already mounted on one wall. It was still blank, but I could imagine the daily specials that would one day fill it, hand-lettered and colorful. The thought made me smile.

"We've got big dreams for this place," Cecy said with a wink. "I want it to be the kind of café where everyone knows your name, you know? Like an extension of home. Speaking of, you're not from around here, are you?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm from Hollow Creek—a small town, far from anything like this," I said, surprised at how easy it felt to open up.

Cecy must have sensed the weird look on my face and quickly said "Oh, don't worry dear, we're new in the area as well, and you happen to be the kind of person we're looking for ! I hope for you that you can start really soon ! Because as you can see this place needs a lot of work."

Well wow, this woman had a heart of gold and I truly didn't want to deceive her, "I mean thank you, so much, but are you sure ? I would love to work here, but—"