Welcome to Blue Heart Cafe

Ah!! Spring had sprung!!! Tulips were blooming. Birds were singing and unfortunately allergies were back with a vengeance. The weather was so delightful though that people were just taking in the suns' rays. People were out and about. Walking dogs or walking children to school, jogging, biking or finding any activity that would take them outside.

Eve hummed as she was preparing for work. She loved her job. She was the proud owner of Blue Heart Cafe. It has grown in popularity over its' 3 years of operation, and she was truly grateful. Especially considering her background. Eve has always loved restaurants. Lord knows that she's seen her fair share of them. She used to live and work in New York City. On Wall Street, to be exact. She was ALWAYS meeting at restaurants. Her job though, left her burnt out. She was constantly on the move and even after work she was still working. Sure, she had a lovely penthouse and loads of money, but she felt that she could never really enjoy any of it. Boyfriends came and went. After a while the hustle and bustle of the city started to take a toll. Horns honking, people hurrying, rudeness, crime. She became disillusioned and started looking for a way out. Her job performance and interactions with others had changed and her boss noticed. "Maybe you should take a week off," Mr. Dobson had told her. "Are you sure? I don't want to have my workload fall in someone else's lap," she stated. "No worries. Reggie can pick it up. Besides, he's been slacking and needs to keep busy. Just be prepared to jump back in when you return," he said looking at her over his glasses. "You are one of our best accountants." Eve remembered that conversation as if it happened yesterday. She had packed up her white Land Rover, (which she barely drove), and headed out of the city. She didn't know where she was going. Just as long as it was peaceful. She had driven past two towns, when she happened upon Cedar Springs. There was something about this place that made her stop in. The trees, the quaint homes and the lakes, rivers and ponds drew Eve in. She was mesmerized by the tranquilness of it all. She pulled into a lovely cottage that said rooms for rent. As she stepped inside, she was amazed at the decor. It looked like it belonged in England. There was lavender, lace and teacups immersed into the space. A woman came from upstairs. "Well, hello!" The greeting had startled Eve as she was inhaling fresh lavender in a vase. "I'm sorry," the woman laughed. "Are you interested in a room?" "Yes," Eve blurted out without thinking. "This place is lovely." "Aw! Thank you," the woman replied. "By the way, my name is Holly. And you are?" "Eve. My name is Eve," she repeated. "I'm sorry for showing up like this. I was driving out of the city and happened upon this paradise. Cedar Springs?"

"Yes. We locals love our town. It's quaint and everyone knows everyone which has its' pros and cons of course," Holly smiled. "And no need to apologize. We appreciate travelers taking up our offer for rooms. How long are you staying?" "Six days. My boss gave me a week, but I have to get back to the grindstone as soon as I return, sooo," Eve's voice trailed off. "Understood." Holly went on to tell Eve about the rates and rules. "No smoking, no booze, no swearing, no loud music (the walls are thin) and respect the rules. We charge $70.00 a night for a single bed, $95 for double. Any questions?" Eve shook her head. She then followed Holly to a beautiful room with rose wallpaper, a desk for work/study, its' own small bathroom with a shower and a single bed decked out with comfy pillows and soft throws. There was also a sliding glass door that led to a small courtyard with a birdbath and Adirondack chairs for relaxing. The sound of the river was also a plus. "Our smaller bedrooms are on the lower floor, so you have easier access to the courtyard from your room," Holly explained. Eve loved it and quickly began unpacking and taking everything in. She learned that Holly once lived in the city herself before becoming a permanent resident of Cedar Springs. She understood where Eve was coming from completely. Holly mentioned a honeybee festival that was coming up. "Maybe you can come with and get a glimpse and feel for the community. The people here are AMAZING!"

She was right. That conversation was 4 years ago, and Eve had not regretted coming here. As a matter of fact, she had made it a point to visit Cedar Springs as often as she could after the initial visit. She and Holly became the best of friends. The rose wallpapered room became Eves' on EVERY visit. People embraced her like family, and she really enjoyed the sense of community. There was no traffic, noise pollution, air pollution, rudeness or crime. Okay, unless you count the time that a group of teens were horsing around throwing rocks and broke the window of a church. That was actually pretty big news. Even with that, the community came together to fix the window, and the teens had to do community service of all things washing the windows of every business in town. Lesson learned. I could get used to this, Eve had thought. And that she did.

It was on one of her visits that she had seen this charming little storefront that had been abandoned. It sat about a mile away from the town library. Eve had asked Holly if she knew anything about it. "Sorry. It was empty when I got here. Maybe you should ask Jacob. He should know." Jacob was the librarian and the town historian.

"It used to be a little Mom and Pop store. The Hansons' owned it for 20 years until they couldn't any more due to the opening of the big box store just 5 miles past. They just couldn't compete with all the fancy items, advertisements and so on. They closed everything down and moved to Albany to be near their son and grandkids. That was 6 years ago now. Shame. It was a nice little store. They were the sweetest people." After that particular visit, Eve had made up her mind to leave the city and reside in Cedar Springs, with the plan to open her cafe. She'll never forget the dumbfounded look that Mr. Dobson had given her after handing him her resignation. He went on about what a mistake she was making and blah, blah, blah. Eve had long tuned him out. She was over the moon at the thought of a new adventure regardless of what he or anyone else had to say about it. Her life was her own and she wanted to live it without regret. She was tired of the city and the people of Cedar Springs had inspired her decision. Holly became a mentor of sorts and was thrilled. She gave Eve advice and insight regarding business ownership, regulations, capacity limits, etc. Financing was approved (thank God for the Internet) and Jacob kept in touch as well, until Eve was able to get there herself. The news of Eve's idea for the old store was well known throughout Cedar Springs, (nothing is secret in a small town for sure). After selling everything she had, with the exception of her car, Eve left during the summer and never looked back. She had more than enough money to realize her dream.

She acquired the building and hired a crew to do repairs, got permits to bring things up to code and worked with a designer to help put the cafes' decor and ambiance together. The outside of the building was painted a bright white with a blue door. The inside is cozy and inviting. It was 1,000 square feet The countertop seated 8 and there were 8 round tables that seat 4. There were also 3 two seat tables near the window. Placement of artificial plants and lighting almost gave the place a tropical feel. It was surreal for Eve. She never dreamed in a million years that something like this was possible. She was her own boss! She had laughed out loud with the thought. The menu consisted of sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups, corn dogs (very popular with the children) and personal sized pizzas (which also turned out to be a hit with everyone). Cakes, pies, and ice cream rounded out the desserts. Her team of workers were AMAZING. They were all locals and were eager to work with Eve as they had the opportunity to meet her before on her visits. Now that she was a part of the community, it made things so much better between them. Stanley and Rose cooked. Stanley used to be a firefighter and had experience cooking for the crew. Rose was a young woman who had attended culinary school briefly but enjoyed cooking. It was a win win so far (despite the too many cooks in the kitchen metaphor, which would have been literal in this case.) Sue was an older woman who had waitress experience and Glen was a recent high school grad who wanted a job before deciding about college. He waited tables and bussed them as well. Oscar a retired custodian, was more than happy to run the dish room and keep the place clean. Samantha was an all- star. Having worked in the restaurant industry before, she could do whatever was needed. She ran the counter, greeted, rang up customers and even helped step in to clear tables. Eve of course kept the books, cleaned, greeted customers and helped wait tables if needed herself. She had learned so much along the way and she was thankful for her crew that had become like family to her. She was also fortunate to have others come in if needed. Subs if you will.

So, on this Spring Day, Eve reflected as she drove to work. Her old life was a distant memory. She thought of a friend that she hadn't seen in forever it seemed. Dezi had been more of a sister. despite the fact that she was Haitian. They grew up together in Manhattan. Tough girls who made a pact that no men or careers would separate them. At 19, they both went and got tattoos. They each had a blue heart put on their inner right wrists. Symbolizing love, true friendship, loyalty, trust and tranquility. Life got in the way though, indeed separating them. Dezi ended up in California as her family had a business opportunity there. Both young women were left broken. They kept in touch for a bit, but the sea of life caused them to drift apart. The friends, lovers and families that come together at the Blue Heart Cafe with all the laughter and good conversation, fills Eve with happiness and gratitude. Reminding her of Dezi. whose contagious laughter used to fill a room. Oh, how I miss you, Dezi, Eve thought fighting back tears.

The sound of music from the cafe greeted Eve upon entering. Samantha and the rest of the crew was already there, getting ready for the day. "Good morning, Boss", they chimed. "Oh, you guys", Eve replied playfully rolling her eyes. "Good morning! Let's get this party started!" Everything was warmed up and ready to go. At 11:00, the people started coming in. It was nice and casual. A study group of 4 came in. There was a mom with 2 little boys who settled in as well. Jacob himself came with a lady friend which turned out to be his sister from New Jersey. So much for small town gossip. Each time the door opened; a little ding of a bell would signal a customer.

Things started slowing down towards 2:00 which was usually the case except Saturdays. Today was Friday and some of the crew were taking a break outside. Eve was at the counter facing away from the door looking at possible new menu options, when she heard the ding. Without looking she automatically said, "Welcome to Blue Heart Cafe," in the cheeriest voice. As she finally turned, she saw a beautiful brown woman with large brown eyes staring at her.

They both held a gaze so long; it was if time stopped.

"Oh...my...GOSH. DEZI??!!! Eve exclaimed. "Yours truly," Dezi said.

Eve rushed from behind the counter running into Dezi's embrace. They cried and laughed and cried some more. Eve's team came to see what the commotion was. "I'm okay", she said wiping away tears. She introduced Dezi and explained her as her long-lost sister/friend. Everyone was happy for the reunion and gave Eve a chance to catch up with Dezi. As they sat at a 2-seat table with their tattooed wrists exposed, Dezi gasped looking at the blue hearts. Eve smiled and said, "welcome to the Blue Heart Cafe, my friend."