Seize A Lost Identity

Chapter 4: A Faint Connection

The soft noise of the café door opening made Jules remember. Just behind her, with the other as background, she looked away from the counter, and with the look of disinterest, smiled at the person who had just come through the door. The boy looked no older than seventeen, with slightly disheveled hair and an awkward gait that gave away his unease.

Jules studied him for a moment as he approached. There was something about him—a faint air of familiarity that tugged at the edges of her memory. She shook her head, brushing off the thought.

What are you thinking, Jules? He's just a kid, she scolded herself silently.

The boy approached the counter and examined the menu hung on her head. His gaze was unsure, as though he'd never been in a café before.

"Uh... what's good here?" he asked, his voice soft but steady.

Jules, for a moment, jumped when his voice seemed to vibrate off her. "Everything's good," she said, recovering quickly. "But if you're new, I'd recommend the mocha latte. It's our bestseller."

The boy nodded. "I'll take that. And, uh... maybe a slice of chocolate cake?"

"Good choice," Jules said, her smile widening despite herself. She turned to prepare the order, feeling his eyes on her. It wasn't in a creepy way, though. His eyes twinkled with a curiosity and perhaps even wonder, the way one might examine a single detail of a small café.

But," she remarked, a feeling of uncomfortable anxiety entering the job as she continued wallowing. "You new around here?"

"Yeah," he replied, leaning on the counter. "Just moved. Figured I'd explore the neighborhood."

Jules set the latte and cake on the counter. "Well, welcome to Jules' Haven. I'm Jules, the owner."

"Jules," he repeated, as if the name carried weight. "That's a nice name."

"Thanks," she said, laughing lightly. "And you are?"

"Xio," he said without hesitation, holding out a hand.

The sound of his name hit her like a punch to the chest. For a split second she faltered for a moment, but recovered, shook his hand.

"Xio, huh?" she said, forcing her voice to stay steady. "That's a... unique name."

"Yeah," he said, smiling faintly. "I guess it is."

A Subtle Shift

Jules observed Xio as he got a seat by the window, his actions smooth and deliberate. There was something about him that felt... off. Not in a bad way, but as though he carried a depth far beyond his years.

Whilst standing behind the counter, Jules watched him having his latte. His profile was strikingly familiar, yet she couldn't place where she might have seen him before. She scolded herself again.

Get it together, Jules. He's just a kid. You're imagining things.

Yet, the tighter the noose after she gazed on more of him. It wasn't love—not at the level of deep, intense emotion—but some inexplicable resonance, as if their souls had already been united.

By the time Xio finished his cake and stood up to go, he looked back at her. "Thanks for the coffee. I think I'll be back."

Jules smiled politely. "You're welcome. See you around, Xio."

As he stepped out into the cold, Jules leaned against the counter, her heart pounding.

"Jules, you're losing it," she muttered to herself. "It's just a coincidence. His name is just... a coincidence."

However, inside she was unable to disbelieve that there was something bigger involved.

The Restless Night

That evening, as Jules closed the café and headed to her small apartment upstairs, she couldn't stop thinking about the boy. His name, his appearance, even his mannerism approaching to her, all felt to come from a memory of years passing.

Only a picture of the two of them, on the little bracelet he'd gifted her, and the crumpled (1) master plan of how to achieve their dream.

She unfolded the paper and read the familiar handwriting.

"Open a café together. Travel to Paris. Watch the stars all night."

The longer she stared, the less she could see, beneath the blurry necklace of tears streaming down her cheeks, as she scrawled the words with her fingernail as well. "I'm trying, Xio," she whispered. "I'm trying to move forward. But... it's hard."

She closed the box and lay in the bed gazing at the floor. The boy's name echoed in her mind. Xio.

"Could it mean something?" she murmured to the empty room. "Or am I just holding on to a ghost?"

And once sleep had landed her, a ghostly version of Xio's smile resonated in her sleep, all meshed with the image of the boy who had walked into her coffee shop.

A New Chapter Unfolds

In the meantime, Xio watched from the outside the cafe, Jules' Haven, on the street. The name felt significant, though he didn't understand why.

Jules," he stammered, the noun strange but not totally nonsensical in this situation.

He saw up at the apartment above the café and he felt all kinds of weirdly empty in his chest.

He mumbed, "I'll be back," and turned, retreating into the white night.