A Change of Plans

Emmalee sat in The Green Goose, her favorite local coffeehouse, waiting for her boyfriend, Michael, to arrive. An hour ago he asked her to meet him there, said it was important and couldn’t wait.

As she nursed her flat white, she thought about the future. Everyone wanted to know when they were getting married—they’d been dating six years—and maybe this was it. A bit weird, but Michael wasn’t a romantic. She complained to her friends about it, but they didn’t think it was that big of a deal.

The same went for Emma’s longing to return to the west coast. Every time she brought it up to Michael, he’d shoot her down. “Why be on the west when you can be here with me? Besides, it doesn’t really matter where you live,” he’d say.

But it mattered to Emma. 

She grew up in California and thought she’d try an east coast school for college. The University of South Florida provided what she wanted: east coast living while still near the beach. She had a plan to leave Florida by thirty, but she met Michael when she was twenty-seven when Kasey, her best friend and roommate, threw a housewarming party.

Now, at thirty-three, she’d say she was fine with her life. But did she really want her life to be just fine? When did she settle for that? What happened to her dreams after college? Did she really want to marry Michael and stay in Florida?

She shivered at that thought. But was it the getting married part or the staying in Florida part that made her heart beat faster and her breath become shallow?

Before she could make sense of it, Michael walked in. She waved him over, but he didn’t smile when he saw her and she relaxed. If he was going to ask her to marry him, he wouldn’t look unhappy, she thought.

She started to stand for a hug, but he reached for the chair before she could.

“Hi,” he said as he sat down across from her.

“Hey. No coffee?”

“No.” He paused and she waited a moment for him to say more.

“Is everything okay?” She asked, both hands gripping the mug.

“I love you. But you’re not who I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

She stared blankly at him, the warmth of the mug her safety blanket.

“Emma? Did you hear me?”

“Yeah.” She brought the mug to her lips and blew on it, the steam fogging her glasses. She sipped, trying not to burn her tongue. She felt something in her shift. It wasn’t sadness but a sense of freedom.

“Are you going to say something?” He was agitated, this wasn’t going how he envisioned. He’d expected her to be more upset, but here she was keeping her composure.

“What do you want me to say?” She asked as she set the mug on the table.

“I don’t know,” he said, before leaning back. “Curse at me. Ask me why. Something other than just sitting there drinking that stupid cup of coffee.”

“Gee, I’m sorry, am I not responding how you wanted me to?” She stopped to regain her composure. She hated making a scene. Thinking about everyone around her being privy to this private moment made her palms sweat. “Did you have to bring me here to do this?”

They sat in silence while life swirled around her. She thought about the people stopping in to grab their daily coffee before heading to work and how their lives seemed monotonous, just like hers. She thought about why she wasn’t upset about this turn of events. The thing that tethered her to Florida had been cut and she could move forward with her life.

“You could’ve at least cried," he said before getting up and walking out the door.

Emma took another sip of coffee. Here she was being dumped in a coffee house on the east coast in a state she longed to leave. She felt a tear fall and quickly wiped it away. Her life was fine; she didn’t want fine.

Once she finished her coffee and made it to her car, she called her supervisor to say she didn’t feel well and couldn’t make it in. It wasn’t a lie. She learned over the years her emotional health was just as important as her physical health. Besides, it was Friday which meant a half day of work anyway.

Today would be a beach day and it didn’t matter she was wearing jeans and a blouse. She needed to feel the sun on her face, the sand on her feet, and the gentle waves of the Gulf of Mexico to soothe her soul.

She sat outside and ordered a mimosa and an omelet. Waiting for her food, she thought about the plan she put away years ago when she and Michael started to get serious. Had she really put her life on hold for a boy?

She knew what she wanted, but could she make it happen? She’d have to make a couple phone calls to be sure. Check her finances. Tell her friends. Staring at the water, she knew what she needed to do.

“You don’t have to move. This is ridiculous. He’s just an idiot who couldn’t see how great you are,” Kasey said as she leaned against the counter, arms crossed.

“I told you it’s not about him.”

“I don’t understand why you’ve decided, without consulting anyone, to move at the end of the month.”

“It’s time for me to move on. You know I never wanted to stay in Florida this long. If I don’t do it now, I never will.”

“I get that, but… an idiot dumps you and then you decide to move across the country, back to your parent’s place, in less than three weeks?”

“Was it a spur-of-the-moment decision? Yes. But you know me and you know I don’t jump until I have a plan in place. Beth says she’ll take the room so you don’t have to worry about not making the mortgage payment. My parents said I could crash at their place for a few months while I look for a job. I’m going to get a nice PTO payout since I rarely take a vacation. And I already have money saved, more than I would have if I moved three years ago.”

“It’s not about the money, Em. I’m not prepared for you to move so far away. You’re my best friend, or whatever.” Kasey rubbed her temples. “I think you’re moving too fast.”

Leaning forward, Emma placed her forearms on the table. “I need to do this for me. I need to move on with my life. Maybe this is a huge mistake. I don’t know. Last week was a wake-up call Kase. When he said he didn’t want to be with me anymore, I felt… free.”

Kasey walked around the island, joining Emma at the kitchen table. “It’s like you’re breaking up with me.”

“Kase, it’s not like I’ll never see you again. Besides, this isn’t my break-up spot. We’d have to go to my formerly favorite coffee house so you too can bask in a bad memory whenever you walk in.”

“I can’t believe he did that,” Kasey said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

“You and me both.”

Kasey let out a breath. “I still think it’s stupid, but you’ve been talking about going back home for years and you know I support you. Maybe not one hundred percent. More like eighty or seventy-five. It just sucks.” Kasey wiped the tears from her eyes.

“But you’re gonna love visiting me in Cali.” Emma reached over and squeezed Kasey’s hand. 

“I can’t with you right now. I’ve gotta get ready for this stupid dinner that you planned so you can tell everyone about your stupid plan to leave all your friends in this stupid state to live your stupid dreams.” Kasey stood up. “Or whatever.”

Emma stayed at the table, smiling as she watched Kasey walk to her room. She agreed—it did suck. Fifteen years. That’s how long this city, this state, was her home. And in three weeks she’d leave it all behind.

The walls were bare. Emma sat on the bed, having doubts about her plan. The last month went by in a blur, and tonight she’d hang with her friends one last time before driving across the country to start a new chapter of her life.

“You know,” Kasey said from the doorway, “it’s not too late to change your mind.”

“I don’t know how Beth will feel about that.”

“Eh, she’ll be fine.” Emma turned to see Kasey’s sly smile. “Come on, people should be arriving soon.”

Thirty minutes later all her friends had arrived. The house was a cacophony of sounds—music playing in the background as people talked and laughed—and Emma watched from the kitchen, taking it all in. Soon, they’d all be gone, back to living the lives they knew. Soon, Emma would be driving, heading back home. But standing there, she was determined to take the night moment by moment, soaking in the love of friends.

Emma’s alarm, Beethoven’s Fur Elise, started playing at 9 AM. She lay in bed for a few cycles of breath as she listened to the music. Pushing the covers off, she rolled over to silence the alarm.

She walked to the kitchen, picking up her favorite mug of Kasey’s since all hers were packed.

“Thanks for the coffee,” she said, joining Kasey on the couch.

“Figured you’d need it.”

They sat for a couple minutes, neither of them saying a word.

“I wish we could’ve had brunch one more time. I’m really gonna miss you guys,” Emma said, resting her head on Kasey’s shoulder.

“Same.”

They lingered on the couch, drinking their coffees for the last time as roommates.

"I should get ready," Emma said after she finished her cup.

An hour later she closed and zipped the small, gray bag—the last of her luggage—and placed her hands on her hips. She gave the room one last look over before turning off the light and walking to the living room to wait for Kasey, a flood of memories following her through the house.

Six years had gone by in the blink of an eye. After she’d met Michael, it was as if her life was pulling her along instead of her choosing her steps. But now, after being dumped and quitting her mediocre job, it was time to move on. It was time for her to take back control of her life.

“Are you sure you have everything?”

“Everything I’m taking. I left some things for Beth, things I don’t need but she wanted.” Emma pulled two keys out of her back pocket. “And these are for you.”

Kasey took the keys before reaching out for a hug. “I’m gonna miss you. Text me when you make it to your hotels and when you get there.”

“Will do.” Emma stepped back and they both wiped tears away. “I should go before I really start crying.”

Kasey nodded and walked her to the door.

Once in the car, Emma waved a final goodbye. She took a deep breath before putting the car in reverse and backing down the driveway. At the stop sign, she sent a group text letting her friends know she was on her way, and unexpected tears fell as they sent back well wishes.

But tears meant she loved and was loved in return. And although she was moving on, she knew she was leaving behind beautiful people who were strangers, but over the years became family.