Café Euphoria

it's pathetic, i know

                  

She opened the folder and pulled out its contents. She tried not to faint. All she could here was her own heart beat and her vision was fading. This moment has plagued her for more years than she can remember.

Kea took a deep breath.

The face looking back at her was of a man appearing to be in his late 30's. He had angular features, straight nose, stern jaw, and brown eyes that bore into her. His hair was longer than she would have imagined him to have it. He had aged well. But that was the least of her concerns. He looked happy. His smile, similar to her own, shone brightly as he played with his son or when he was pictured with his wife. His life was good.

He was 37 years old. After turning 18, he moved to Colorado and went to community college. He worked odd jobs to pay off his loans. After getting a degree in American History, he went to get his teaching license and began to work at West Side Middle. He has since not moved. He met his wife, Kathy Pool, in college. She's a pediatrician. They married at age 25. At age 30, they had a son. His name was Oliver. They lived in a two-story house with a picket fence and a golden retriever.

Numb. She felt as if someone had poured a bucket of ice cold water on her making her senses numb. She was a forgetful mistake. The hole in her chest widened. That feeling that she had been trying to get rid of, the one that make the hairs on the back of her neck stand, was still there. She was lost.

Then, she sobbed. She knew she was going to find exactly that. She knew that she was going to cry. She knew that there was nothing she could do. She knew. But she still did it anyway. Now here she was crying her heart out for a man who had no remorse for her and especially her mother. Her mother. The one who raised her. The one who worked day and night to make sure Kea had a roof over her head, food to eat, and clothes to wear. The one who loved her when no one else would. Kea had made everything worse. She was naïve to think this information would soothe her thoughts.

Wiping her tears, she threw the papers in her bag. That man wasn't worth her tears. Grabbing her keys, she left her apartment.

"Kea?"

"Hey, uh, have you left the haunted house? Are you home?"

"Yeah I'm home. Police shut down the haunted house because someone decided to be funny with a knife. We didn't go. Why?"

"I, uh, was wondering if you were willing to meet me at Euphoria?" Kea tried desperately to hide her quivering voice from Bowie. Tears threatened to spill.

"Is everything okay?"

"Just meet me at the café like now. Okay?"

"Alright, alright. I'll be there in 10 chickie"

Hanging up, Kea ran to Café Euphoria.

***

"Hey. I ordered you a caramel latte."

"Thanks." Bowie's piercing grey eyes bore into her. "Tell me why you sounded strained over the phone"

Kea took a sip of her coffee and threw the folder on the table. "Open it."

Glancing at her, Bowie cautiously open the folder. The minute her eyes read the first line of text, she almost choked.

She exclaimed, "What the fuck!"

"Bowie," Kea whispered harshly. She saw the stares from the other patrons.

"I'm sorry Kea, but this is fucking. Oh my God, I don't even know what this is!"

"Keep your voice down. People are staring. The whole world doesn't need to know my business."

"I'm sorry. I thought that you didn't care. I thought you would never look. So this," she shook the papers, "is beyond what I ever thought- "

Kea held up her hand. She really didn't want to discuss why she did it. At least not now. "I know." It was hard to come up with what to say next. Her reasons for searching was irrelevant now. "I just needed someone to be with me. I read it and freaked. I'm done sobbing now, hopefully." She gave a weak laugh.

"Chickie." Next thing she knew, her coffee cup was out of her hands and Bowie was there hugging her so hard that Kea thought they'd fuse together.

Releasing her, Bowie asked, "But why? You never cared before. Why now?"

Kea hesitated. "I, uh, don't." She couldn't bring herself to say it. "Can we not?"

"Of course."

"Thanks"

"So what are you going to do?"

The thought of doing more than just knowing never crossed her mind. Did she want to meet him? "I actually don't know."

"I have an idea." Kea looked out the window and sighed.

"Yeah?"

"Let's go on a road trip."

"A road trip?"

"It's pathetic, I know. But listen, we go on a road trip. Uh LA because why not? Disney's there and so is Universal. Plus Hollywood, ya know?" Kea motioned for her to get to the point.

"Anyway. We go on the road trip and pass by Colorado. That way if you ever wanted to even catch a glimpse of your father, you could. You'll get that chance. And if you didn't, well it's a great way to get your mind of things here."

Kea was partial to the idea. For so long, it was as if she was missing something. Maybe this road trip would be her life saver. And even if all went to shit, she would be doing something instead of moping around her apartment.

She set down her coffee and pulled out her phone. "Let me call in at work. You, start the planning and ask everyone to see if they want to go." She payed and grabbed her things. "If we're going to do this, let's make it worth it."

Bowie smile was radiant.