Remember when I gave you a bouquet of paper roses that I made and you loved it so much?
The patrons of that quaint, small coffee shop at the corner of Mills Avenue comprised of people from all ages. One of them was the James family: Peter, Keira and their twin children, Levy and Ciara. Every time they were there, there was a different sense of happy vibe because of the fraternal twins who could easily charm everyone with their chubby cheeks and quick wit.
And they love Maine, too.
As soon as the James family walked into the coffee shop, the twins happily greeted Maine who was taking Richard's order that time.
"Are you Maine's boyfriend?" The five-year-old Levy immediately asked Richard, and caught the two off-guard. He glanced at Maine, showing that dimpled smile again, intensifying her embarrassment that somebody mistook them as a couple.
She smiled back. "We're only friends, Levy. Would you like some pencil and papers to draw something again?"
Levy shook his head while his twin Ciara replied, "We don't like to draw anymore."
"How about if I teach you how to fold papers and turn it into flowers or planes or sailboats or even birds?" Richard volunteered. Maine thought it was charming how he talked to them gently. If someday he would have children of his own, they would be lucky. She left the excited kids with Richard, and returned to the counter to prepare his order while thinking of him and the enigma that enveloped him. From time to time, she would look at him. He was now talking to the James couple while folding papers with the twins. She could hear the laughter on that side of the café and she smiled. He seemed to have found his temporary home in that little corner, with newfound friends as well. It was a very good sight.
She paused for a moment and looked at her trembling hands. She clasped it together and continued staring at it. She didn't know why it was that suddenly, she felt her heart ached and she wanted to cry. There came the feeling of loss again and she wanted to know why. She always have this episodes and she wanted to know why there were flashes in her mind that she could not understand. She wanted to know why she would wake up at night, almost drenched with sweat from the nightmares she could not comprehend.
"Are you alright?"
She turned and saw Paolo's concerned look.
"I- I'm fine."
Paolo was quick to provide her a paper cup full of water and she drank it. "You look pale. You should get a rest for now and take an early lunch." He stepped beside her. "Let me take care of that gorgeous guy for you," he winked at her to keep the situation light. But there was still that worried look in his eyes.
"Thanks," she quietly said. She glanced at the corner and saw Richard looking at her. He looked worried, as well. He excused himself from the family beside him and walked towards the counter. She looked away, pretending to be busy in re-arranging the stuff at the cabinet.
"Is she alright?" She heard him ask Paolo. "Maine?"
She didn't want to ignore him and so, she turned. "Hey, I'm fine. Don't worry." She smiled reassuringly. "Just a sudden headache."
"Yes, and you looked pale. Do you want me to escort you to the hospital?"
Escort. It sounded too formal coming from him. She shook her head. "No, it's alright. I'll be fine. I'll just have to rest."
They stared at each other for a while until Paolo cleared his throat to get their attention. "Don't worry about her, I'll just send her to the back and rest." He gave Richard his order of the sandwich that Maine finished working on, and then, he began with his coffee. Maine told him to give Richard her personally concocted brew instead and pour it on a mug. She left the two men to go to the kitchen to get some quick break before lunchtime. She stared into space as she chewed her lunch quietly. Drawing a deep breath, she took another bite.
"I think he likes you."
Maine looked up to see Paolo by the door. "Why did you say that?" She asked, knowing instantly whom he was referring to. She took a glass of water.
Paolo went to sit beside her and continued. "It was in the way he looks at you most of the time. We noticed that. He looked at you as if you are his world, as if he was amazed to be just in front of you, and I think that's why whenever he's here, spending the whole day here, he just wanted to spend it with you."
Maine was shaking her head. "It should not be. I can't."
"You're single. It should not be a problem."
"No." Maine looked at him. "Is he still outside?"
Paolo rolled his eyes. "You know that he will only leave once your shift is done, Maine." She didn't reply and continued eating. Richard could not possibly like someone like her. She had so many things to deal with in her life right now that she could not even think about entertaining the thought of romance. Yes, Richard was an interesting man, but she could not go further than that.
"Sometimes, I wonder until when he will be there, sitting in that corner, overdosed on my coffee once every month. I don't want to think that he's here because of me. Maybe, this was his only time in a month to get away from everything," Maine turned to Paolo, "and he chose to settle himself in this quiet café and nothing else. Maybe he's been long searching for that perfect brew and found it in mine. He felt like going back at least once a month, like a man who needed a dose of his favorite forbidden pill."
Paolo shook his head. "Give yourself more credit than that, Maine. Maybe, it's not just about your coffee now. Maybe, his typically planned world changed when he met you. That's why he chose to be here, at least once every month. Maybe, it's his way of letting you know that he wanted to know you more and he's staying here until you give him the chance. Maybe, you've seen him somewhere and he decided to find you and there he is, right there on his favorite corner, waiting until you give him the chance." Paolo sighed deeply. "Do you get what I mean? I can obviously see the way he looks at you. You're a nice person, and a beautiful one. Give yourself that moment to be happy. He seemed to be a good man and try to get to know him better." He nudged her shoulder. "I like him for you. I can say that I'm a good judge of character and I'm very sure of this man, Maine."
Maine shrugged. She was still pessimistic about this. "Or maybe, we're just overthinking, Paolo. Maybe, he was that busy guy who only thought about taking a time off at least once a month and to be far away from everything." she said, trying to deny herself from what were the possibilities that Richard could bring to her life. She just can't. It's complicated. For sure, if he learned about her and her secrets, he would go to the other way.
Her friend watched her in silence. "You're thinking that he might not understand."
Maine shook her head.
"If one day, he finally confessed that he likes you and he felt that he cares enough to accept you for what you are, then you got yourself a keeper. Don't deny yourself of something you deserve, Maine." Paolo gave her a light squeeze on her hand and stood up. He went back to the counter to continue with work, while she finished her lunch.
She went out afterwards and saw that the James family were about to leave. When the twins saw her, they rushed towards her and gave a bunch of paper roses wrapped in a magazine page. It looked like a bouquet of beautiful little flowers. She bent down in front of the twins and hugged them both.
"I hope you'll feel better soon," Levy said and gave her a quick kiss on the cheeks.
"I will be!" Maine said. "Thank you. I will keep these flowers. They are perfectly beautiful!" She glanced at the James couple.
"See you next time, Maine." Keira smiled. "Thanks again for being nice to my kids."
"Until your next date!" She waved goodbye to the family. When they were gone, she looked at the paper roses. They were indeed beautiful. There was a time, a long time ago, when somebody also gave her a bouquet of paper roses. She loved it too. She traced the flowers gently and tried to remember. She took a deep breath and flinched when a shot of pain triggered inside her head. She looked around. Richard was standing beside her and saw her wince.
"Maine?"
The next thing that everyone saw was Maine fainting on the floor.
