All I Have to Give

Chapter 5

"Oh, you son of a bitch," Rachel muttered as she witnessed the driver of a gray Ford sedan steal her parking spot on the street.  Letting out a huff of frustration, she twisted her lips and took her foot off the brake and gazed up the road for another place to park.

The windshield wipers quietly squeaked as she drove a half block and found another empty parking spot.  She scowled as she carefully pulled into the parking space, grateful that there wasn't another car parked so she didn't have to attempt parallel parking in the rain.  Rachel put the car in park and turned off the ignition, grabbing her light blue hoodie from the passenger seat to put it on.  After she slipped her right arm into the hoodie, she grabbed her backpack from the passenger floorboard and pulled it closer to her as she slipped her left arm into the hoodie.  She loosely draped the hood over her head and quickly got out of the car, bowing her head in attempt to avoid getting soaked.  Rachel swung her backpack over her shoulder and began jogging towards the building beside her car, sighing of relief as she got under the awning and was able to walk at a normal pace.  Inhaling the sweet scent of fresh rain on hot asphalt, Rachel found herself smiling a little.  Rain on a hot day was one of her favorite smells and it was her favorite kind of weather.

Thunder roared loudly in the distance as she picked up the pace a little, gripping the strap of her backpack as she hopped over a puddle before opening the door of the coffee shop that she'd discovered a few days before.  It was a small shop and she found it to be the perfect spot to sit and write for a little while, especially early in the morning.

Even though it was Saturday, Rachel found herself unable to sleep in past her usual alarm clock time.  Of course, the inability to sleep wasn't anything new for her.  This had been going on for months and there didn't seem to be any sign of that changing any time soon.  Rather than staying at home, taking the risk of waking Kristin, she decided to take a trip to the coffee shop instead.

Rachel slid the hood of her hoodie off  her head and looked around for a moment.  The coffee shop was empty with the exception of two employees behind the counter.  The soft clanking of dishes and the two employees chatting were the only sounds that could be heard as Rachel casually stepped up to the counter.  The scent of fresh coffee wafted beneath her nose as she observed the menu, feeling her stomach growl from hunger.  Rachel looked over at the display of breakfast pastries, examining each one before deciding upon a cheese danish.  She set her backpack on the counter, pulling out her wallet as a young brunette girl with the nametag, "Nikki" came to the register.

"Good morning," the Nikki said sweetly.

"Morning," Rachel replied.

"What can I get for you today?"

"Can I please get an endless mug and a cheese danish?" Rachel stated as she pulled a twenty dollar bill out of her wallet.

"Sure thing," Nikki stated as she punched buttons on the register and smiled as she placed a mug on the counter. "That's gonna be $6.43."

Rachel handed her the twenty dollar bill and grabbed the handle of the mug, waiting patiently for her change, glancing over her shoulder as another crack of thunder was heard from outside.

"Would you like that danish warmed up?" Nikki asked as she handed Rachel her change.

"That would be great," Rachel replied with a smile.

"Alright, I'll bring it out to you as soon as it's ready," Nikki replied as she took a danish out of the pastry case.

"Thank you," Rachel said as she zipped her backpack and carried it with her to a nearby table with a couple couches.

She set the backpack down on one of the couches and stepped over to the canisters of coffee to prepare her first cup.  Carefully pouring the creamer into the mug, Rachel read the labels on all the canisters and decided on the Columbian dark blend.  Strong and bold is the kind of coffee she needed that morning.  Anything to give her an extra dose of pep while she wrote in her notebook for a while.  As she pushed the level of the canister, the sound of Nikki placing the danish on the table where she left her bag.