Coffee Shop

• 21 •

Ever stare at someone so long you don't realize you're suddenly standing in front of them? That's what happened. I watched Eileen shake her umbrella, ruffle the curls of her hair, and before I knew it, I was looking up into her hazel eyes with way too much curiosity. I could only assume I moved too fast, because she blinked, taken aback.

"H-Hello," she stammered.

I didn't speak. At least, not at first. I looked at her: her button nose, round-shaped eyes, and perfect skin, just a shade lighter than mine. Her curls complimented her features and even though her smile was awkward, it was nice, too. Looking at her, knowing who she was, I knew Katerina had to have been drop-dead gorgeous.

"Hello," I finally said. I gave her my most sincere smile as I pressed myself up on the tips of my toes to shorten the distance in height between us. And that alone made her smile, too.

Fastening the strap on her umbrella, she hooked the handle around the strap of her bag and looked behind me. The corners of her eyes crinkled as she gave the group a small wave, then looked back at me, smile wrinkles never leaving. "I'm Eileen," she said, "or, as everyone calls me, Leeny."

My smile hadn't left either. "I know."

Her lip twitched. "Did they tell you already?"

Sort of?

I rocked forward and back a bit, maintaining my balance. Sometimes, being short was hard. "No," I said, honestly, "well, kind of, but I'm good at putting two and two together."

After I said it, I cringed, because the other night, I tried to get seven out of adding two and two. Maybe simple math wasn't the best analogy.

"Well," I corrected myself, swiping an imaginary eraser over my words, "at least, most of the time I'm good at it."

She laughed. That was a good sign. "Like today, you mean?"

I nodded, running my hand nervously through my hair.

"Well, that's good at least." She moved her handbag to her other hand, water droplets landing on the space between us. "Then that means you know everything?"

Again, I nodded.

She took her turn to cringe. "And you met my dad?"

Oh. Falling back down on the heels of my feet, I let that good nearly a foot difference between us tower over me like a shadow. Had her father called her already? Maybe said I was a bitch, too, huh? I mean, he deserved it. I wasn't going to let him weigh down on Brian's emotions. He had a right to be at the cemetery and visit her grave. If I, the woman who loves him, can accept that, then shouldn't everyone else?

"Can I thank you for that?"

I blinked. What?

"My dad's been a dick the past few years, and I admit it. But I won't lie either." She pulled her button lip into her mouth before taking her eyes off of me. "When I lost my little sister, it hurt me, made me mad, angry even. Every emotion you can name, I felt it."

Maybe we should sit down...

"But to have closure, you must have acceptance, and to accept, you must forgive." With a sigh, she looked back at me. "I forgave Brian a long time ago, but I'm the only one who did. I've called him a few times, left messages, but he never got back to me. So, when Kyle called about Brian's birthday, I was excited. I wanted to step inside and say hi to everyone. I'd only seen the shop in passing when I'd meet Shawn for dinner, but..." Eileen's voice trailed off before she smiled. "Seeing Brian again made me happy."

Leeny spoke so openly with me, it made it easy to listen. She fidgeted and moved back, her feet wiped at the water between us. "Yesterday, I finally saw the Brian who my sister married, and it'd been a long time since I'd seen him. That hug," she placed her hand on my shoulder, "I didn't mean to upset you. He was a brother to me then, and one to me now. He's my family. I only missed him, and seeing him like that, in the place Katerina always wanted... I—I was happy, too."