Faithful Horizons

Chapter 3: The Return

The café was busier than Ethan expected, a low hum of chatter mixing with the hiss of the espresso machine. As he pushed the door open, the familiar aroma of coffee and pastries hit him, grounding him momentarily. He spotted her almost immediately - Grace, sitting at a small table near the window, her fingers flying across her laptop keyboard.

For a moment, he hesitated. What was he even doing here? He'd told himself a dozen times that coming back was pointless, that whatever curiosity he felt about her would fade. Yet here he was, standing awkwardly in the doorway like an idiot.

"Move it or lose it, buddy," someone muttered, brushing past him.

Ethan shook himself out of his daze and approached the counter, ordering a black coffee. He lingered there longer than necessary, wondering if it was too late to bolt. Then Grace looked up. She waved him over, her smile so genuine it almost made him want to turn around and leave.

"Hey!" she called. "Come sit."

Ethan hesitated shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, but he walked to her table.

"Hey," he said gruffly, dropping into the seat across from her.

Grace closed her laptop and leaned back, studying him with an easy grin. "I didn't think I'd see you again so soon. Let me guess - you couldn't resist the coffee?"

He smirked, sipping his drink. "Something like that."

"It was Ethan right?"

Ethan nodded his head slightly. "And you're Grace, right?"

"That's me," she said, tilting her head slightly. "So what brings you back? The coffee? Or was it our little chat?"

Ethan shrugged, avoiding her gaze. "I don't know. Maybe both."

She laughed lightly, her fingers tapping the edge of her cup. "Fair enough. I'll take that as a compliment."

The conversation drifted to small talk, Grace doing most of the heavy lifting. She had a way of making ordinary topics - like the best places for coffee or her quirky collection of bookmarks - seem surprisingly interesting.

"What about you?" she asked after a while. "What do you do when you're not at school?"

Ethan chuckled dryly. "Not much. Work, mostly. Help out at home."

"What kind of work?"

"Part-time at a hardware store," he said leaning back in his chair. "Though I haven't had much time to work there recently."

Grace nodded thoughtfully. "Still, it's good to keep busy in whatever way you can. But what do you do for you?"

Ethan blinked, caught off guard by the question. "I don't know. Never really thought about it."

Grace smiled softly. "Maybe you should. Everyone needs something to look forward to."

Her words hit harder than he expected, and Ethan covered it by sipping his coffee. "What about you? What do you look forward to?"

"Oh lots of things," Grace said, her expression brightening. "Helping out with my youth group, spending time with my mom, reading... and, of course, coffee."

Ethan chuckled despite himself. "Obviously."

As the conversation continued, Ethan found himself relaxing, letting down his usual guarded demeanor. Grace's curiosity didn't feel invasive; it felt genuine like she really wanted to know him.

"What about church?" he asked suddenly, the question surprising even himself. "You, uh, go there a lot?"

Grace nodded. "Yeah, it's a big part of my life. It's not just showing up on Sundays - it's about the community and having a place where I can grow in my faith."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Faith, huh?"

She tilted her head. "Yeah. I mean, I know it sounds old-fashioned to some people, but it gives me purpose. It keeps me grounded."

Ethan leaned forward slightly, his curiosity outweighing his skepticism. "How can you believe in something you can't see?"

Grace's smile didn't falter. "That's a fair question. I guess I can see God in everything - the kindness of people, the beauty of nature, the peace I feel when I pray. It's not about seeing Him; it's about knowing He's there."

Ethan leaned back, letting her words sink in. They didn't make sense to him - not yet - but they didn't sound as ridiculous as he thought they would.

"You ever been to church?" she asked gently.

"Nope," he said quickly. "Not my thing."

Grace nodded as if she expected the answer. "That's okay. Everyone has their journey."

Something about her calm acceptance made Ethan want to say more, but he stopped himself. Instead, he glanced at the clock on the wall.

"I should go," he said, standing up abruptly. "I, uh, have work alter."

Grace's smile didn't waver. "Of course. Thanks for sitting with me, Ethan. Maybe I'll see you around?"

He hesitated before replying. "Yeah, maybe."

As he stepped outside into the crisp air, the warmth of their conversation lingered. For the first time in a long while, he felt... lighter.

A/N:

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