I'll Catch Ya I #FiveYearsSinceCollabContest

The Beginning

The cool morning wind stung my skin while I opened the heavy door to enter the small cafe. "The usual, miss?" I heard from the barista and nodded, forcing a smile. He's a nice boy, maybe sixteen and clearly eager to impress at his first part time job. I suspected he had a crush on me with how attentive he was and smoothed my floral dress in an attempt to keep composure while he grinned like a deranged Easter Bunny while making my drink.

"How are you today, Miss Juliette?" He asked, puppy dog eyes and eager grin making me genuinely smile in response.

"Doing good.  Just a normal Tuesday," I kept my response short to make the most of the quiet morning and was thankful he didn't continue chatting.

"Good!  I'm so glad!  I'll have this mocha up in just a few for you, Miss Juliette!" he responded excitedly and I chuckled to myself, knowing my usual beverage at this location was a far cry from what I used to request. 

Thankfully he doesn't know that. 

All he knows is I have gotten a coconut milk mocha a couple times a week since I started stopping by on my way to work. I decided relocation to a new town across the country meant new routines, so my previous drip coffee was moved to the side in favor of a fancier latte.

Barista boy slid me my drink and I thanked him before making my way toward work.  The cafe was empty so I decided to take a detour, veering through a local park that I have not yet explored. Typically my morning commute is a brisk fifteen minute walk but with the extra time I can do a bit of adventuring. I have found some gorgeous paths around town and love discovering new corners of beauty while dealing with so much change.

My big move happened about three months ago.

College was an incredible experience and gave me an opportunity with a large business management and marketing firm. After a couple years they blessed me with the chance to help create a new office in a new town as a junior partner.  We had an office space arranged and after a whirlwind few months of packing and traveling and adjusting and settling it finally feels like I'm finding my groove again.

New. Everything has been so new. New condo, new office, new routines. Same general tasks but reestablishing myself has given me the chance to grow more than I even anticipated.

The birds chirped and I felt a sense of belonging and peace in spite of all the change I've been going through. I felt the breeze move my long hair and smiled to myself at the sensation. My mind wandered as I sipped the perfect non dairy mocha until I noticed a rot iron fence toward my left. I shrugged, saying softly to myself, "Well, Juliette, may as well! Like mama always said, every day deserves a little adventure."

I walked toward the new path and realized quickly I was entering a beautifully kept cemetery, rows of graves marked with azaleas and dogwood trees. After checking the map app on my iPhone I realized this would lead me right to a different park directly across from my office, so continued knowing I was literally on the right track.

My eyes focused ahead a moment then idly surveyed the tombstones, picking out names and dates that made an impact. 

A Juliet, different spelling but my name. Cool. A baby girl who didn't live an entire day, causing my heart to break at the loss her family had to handle.

One was for an elderly couple whose tombstones shared how deeply they loved one another.  I noticed the husband passed two days after the wife and my heart was whole again, soothed by the love they shared even til their final days.