The Coffee Shop Talk

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of substance abuse, death/losing a loved one

enjoy! ^^

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Lilith walked into the closed coffee shop. The sounds of customers died down as they left. The barista at the counter was still abuzz, however. These two had a meeting, and it was important, especially because of the news Lilith just received…

“One hot chocolate, please,” Lilith called out to the barista.

”Coming up!” she yelled back.

Footsteps were heard around the cafe. Lilith could see Tavi’s little body rushing around across the island seperating the seating and cooking area.

Within a few minutes, Lilith’s hot chocolate was ready, and both Tavi and her were sitting at one of the tables in the empty cafe.

”So, I’ve heard that you needed a special talking to today?” Tavi said, resting her head on her palms, eager to listen to Lilith’s story.

While Tavi seemed very excited about the thought of a tea-spilling session (or coffee, in this case), Lilith wasn’t. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she couldn’t stop shaking. She didn’t even speak yet, and she wasn’t liking this conversation already.

“Yes, I do. It’s about that boy I’ve been telling you about.”

Immediately, Tavi’s energetic vibe washed off of her. “Oh… you’ve been seeing someone? And they got really sick?”

“Yeah… he was so sick, he ended up in the hospital.”

”Did you talk to him about his addiction?”

The boy Lilith had been seeing had a nasty habit of smoking cigarettes—the very thing that gave him lung cancer. The thing that landed Micah in the hospital. The thing that… No, stop denying that fact, Lilith told herself. You have to face reality.

Lilith sighed. Tavi sighed along with her.

”No luck?” Tavi asked.

”No luck,” Lilith answered. She took another shaky breath. “He never stopped until he ended up in the hospital.”

With those words, the atmosphere of the closed cafe turned cold. The sun was already setting. The views were beautiful, but it didn’t match the mood at all. It was like the sun was comforting Lilith after what happened.

”Drink.” Tavi pushed the untouched hot chocolate towards Lilith. “It might help.”

Lilith shuddered, still ignoring the steaming cup. “When we found out he had cancer…” Her voice broke. “…it was devastating. We were just getting settled, and that-“ her eyes stung with tears, ready to roll down her tender cheeks- “it ruined our plans.”

Tavi went silent, thinking of ways to help the poor soul across from her. Tavi was known for giving advice for everyone around—the main reason her cafe was thriving was because of her roasts deemed legendary and her heartfelt advice. Lilith’s situation could happen at anytime to anyone, but this, somehow, felt difficult to comfort. Tavi struggled to find the words to comfort Lilith. Then, an idea struck her.

Tavi excused herself, then scrambled to the back of the cafe. Moments later she emerged, cradling a scented candle and a lighter in her hands.

”I don’t bring this out often,” Tavi mentioned with a small smile as she lit the candle. The scent of marshmallows fill the empty coffee shop, giving some form of life to the place. Marshmallows seemed to fit Lilith perfectly. Light, sweet, full of air—but also delicate.

Tavi always lit a candle at the tables of customers who were struggling. She always had a specific scent for each person. It made these conversations feel more personal, like she cared. And Tavi cared. Yes, she cared a lot.

“Do you remember the last time you’ve talked to Micah?” the barista asked.

“Yes… it was our last kiss.”

“What happened?”

“Mostly just silence. Some talks about how we would miss each other. We decided to say goodbye with one last kiss.”

“And how did that make you feel in the moment?” Tavi asked.

The tears finally broke the barrier in Lilith’s eyes, finally washing down her face like a rapid waterfall. She couldn’t speak; the tears had Lilith in such a chokehold.

The only sounds in the room was the crackling of the candle and the tears of a grief-struck lover.

“Hey.” Tavi reached out her hand, cradling Lilith’s hands in hers. “You don’t have to talk about if you don’t want to.”

The candle’s wisp leaner towards Lilith, as if waiting for a response.

”I have to. I’ll never move on if I don’t.”

Aside from Lilith’s gasping sobs, the two were silent for a few moments. Then, Tavi spoke up. “If you’re ready, then we can talk about it.”

”I’m ready.”

“Okay.” Tavi nodded in approval. “So, what happened?”

”When I walked into the room, it was silent. I only heard machines beeping. We sat in silence for a few moments, then Micah said…” A tear rolled down her cheek. Lilith took a deep breath. “He said that he would miss my visits. And then he asked if I could kiss him goodbye.”

Lilith finally took a sip of her hot cocoa. The warmth of the drink seemed to mend her broken heart.

”The kiss felt bittersweet. Like this hot cocoa,” Lilith said. “Each sip feels good inside, a bit warm, but there’s always the aftertaste that you won’t be able to experience it again. Like my visits with Micah. And that last kiss.”

Lilith was shaking now. She was going to cry again. She sighed again, then continued.

”I just got news that he passed. He… a few days ago, he…”

The tears came again. The sun sank. The candle kept burning. The smell was still there.

”I understand how you feel, Lilith,” Tavi whispered to her. She opened her arms for a hug.

Lilith gave in and hugged Tavi in a tight embrace. It felt like all her worries were irrelevant. Like she was safe.

The two stayed like that for a few minutes.

When the hug was finally over, the sun was disappearing behind the mountains. Lilith sipped her hot cocoa. Her eyes were misty. She was thinking about how life could have been if she had talked to Micah earlier. If she could stop all of this from happening…

Tavi noticed Lilith’s thoughtful expression. Tavi finally found something to say to this lover. Tavi reached for Lilith’s hands, then spoke up. “You know, it does suck that death takes whenever it wants to. I understand your pain. But don’t worry, things will look up. They always do. You can grieve, it’s natural to miss someone. You still need to remember, that things will get better. I promise.”

Lilith and Tavi hugged again, this one sweeter than the last. Both felt better.

As Lilith drained the last few drops of her hot chocolate, she focused more on the sweetness of the sugar. It was comforting, like another hug in her mouth.

When Lilith was finished, she thanked Tavi for all her help. As they both packed up their things, Lilith decided to think on the positive side of things.

Tavi extinguished the marshmallow candle. She knew that Lilith was strong. She would move on. Everyone had to, after all. Her time with Micah was a good chapter, but in order to live, you had to keep turning the page.

Lilith left the humble cafe, feeling better than when she walked in. She was forever thankful for Tavi’s advice and cocoa. As she walked towards her townhouse, she would remember to look on the bright side.

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