Separate Universes can meet

Tanvi sighed, craning her long neck to scan her surroundings. Beautiful restaurant, polished gleaming brown wood, the delicious smells emanating from everywhere. 

Even after two years, her date was apparently always going to be late. So Tanvi did what she usually did when left alone and started people watching, curling her hands around her warm cup of tea.

Close to her was an ancient old lady, absently coughing into a hand-stitched handkerchief. A little oxygen machine -if that was what they were called- beeped next to her, carefully stowed under the table near her legs.

The lady grumbled something at a harassed-looking young man near her, who was rubbing at his temples. It was clear that this woman would suffer every tribulation life had to offer if it meant that she would live again.

Tanvi watched discreetly as the man snapped something back, threw his hands in the air, and stormed out.

The wizened old lady turned her sharp eyes on Tanvi, scowling as she coughed into a mottled hand.

Oops, not discreet enough. Tanvi hastily switched her gaze to a boisterous family seated two booths ahead of her. The mom was scolding a ketchup-smeared little boy, embarrassedly meeting Tanvi's eyes and hissing at the boy to get off the table.

Two little girls were arguing about something, and their father held up his hands placatingly, turning to apologize to a waitress who had appeared to serve them.

Tanvi took a big gulp to avoid staring too long. Her own family had never done anything like this. There was a strange intimacy in eating together, and her parents, who were constantly on the brink of divorce had made it a point to never share a single meal together.

Tanvi giggled a little, lost in the memories. She'd gained so much weight as a child, eating with dad, then with mom, then sneaking snacks with her siblings. 

"You okay, hon?" A pretty waitress asked, retrieving a pen from behind her ear.

No, I don't have your number. Tanvi amused herself for a moment, imagining that this pink-haired hottie was her girlfriend, instead of her perpetually late and scruffy one.

Then she stopped, feeling guilty and embarrassed all in one. 

"More tea, please." Tanvi smiled, handing the smiling girl her cup. She continued looking around, studying the wings of a sixteen-year-old's first-time eyeliner experience. 

She watched a red-eyed woman leave crumpled notes on a table as she left, her plate still full of the food she'd pushed around for an hour. Tanvi smiled as a sharply dressed businessman stretched out, tension leaving his muscles as he finished charming a client.

There were so many little worlds here, one about to start, some ending. Each with its own costs, rhythms, stories, conflicts.

Tanvi rubbed at her eyes, then groaned and checked her reflection in her phone. Makeup was still good. A little bit, she loved peeking into the many lives here, gaining glimpses of people's days, their confusion, their happiness.

That's why today was so important. Tanvi was supposed to be telling her irritating and lovable girlfriend about her new job. She bounced her knee up and down, bursting with the need to tell Ariadne about the Youth Centre, and her plans for the second university ended.

Tanvi smiled again as the waitress returned with a warm, steaming cup. "Thank you," She gushed, gratefully taking it from her.

"No problem, you gonna order yet?" Then the waitress clucked knowingly and said, “Someone stand you up?”

"Oh, no, sorry, I'm just waiting, and uh, no, my girlfriend is just late. Traffic I think." Tanvi replied, rambling, feeling her nose scrunch up as she answered. Stop that, the voice in her head sing-songed. It was the cute thing Ariadne always tapped whenever she saw it, smirking mischievously.

"Alrighty," The waitress smiled and disappeared.

Tanvi groaned, blushing. She couldn't be doing this right now, and she returned to looking into the multiple universes around her. Some overlapped, as the businessman with the now loosened tie handed back a toy a child had dropped.

Or as the spunky, pink-haired waitress courteously helped the old lady flag down a cab. So many little worlds.

Tanvi wondered if radically different worlds ever met. If worlds that were ridiculously far apart, dealing with different things ever connected.

Speaking of different worlds, a short, curly-haired young woman entered the restaurant, looking confused as always.

Tanvi stood up, raising a hand to get her attention. "Babe!" She whisper-shouted, before smiling when her panicked-looking girlfriend spotted her.

Her date grinned back, that million-watt smile focusing on her as she approached.

Tanvi leaned forward to kiss her, then stepped back and crossed her arms. "Seriously?" She whined, trying to pout and glare at the same time. "Thirty minutes late!"

Her girlfriend, as always, chose to look pretty unrepentant, dark brown eyes crinkling as she smiled. "Sorry, sorry, something came up in the lab, and I-"

"Save it," Tanvi grumbled half-heartedly, making eye contact with the waitress to summon her as she took her seat again.

Her girlfriend avoided eye contact with the waitress, and Tanvi ordered what she usually liked, trying to get rid of the waitress quickly so that she could just tell her already.

This was one universe that she wanted to understand, to meet, and she took her girlfriend's hand.

"Something happen?" Ariadne asked, eyes widening a little.

They were usually so distant, but screw it. Tanvi wanted this universe to meet. "I have big news, I got a job at the Youth Centre as a counselor."

Ariadne beamed, taking her hand in both of hers. "Oh my-Tan, that's incredible! I-"

Goddamn it, why did this girl always make her heart melt? "It's not paid yet, and I know you're gonna say it's super liberal and stupid, and that I need to aim-"

"Shut up." Ariadne interrupted, suddenly looking intense.

"What?" Tanvi asked, smiling uncontrollably. Even if Ariadne annoyed her to literal death, she loved it.

"I know I'm a shitty girlfriend, and sometimes I'm too political, weird, and not always supportive. But I'm an idiot. And I wanna be here for you for real from now on. You love this stuff, and I promise-I promise not to be late anymore to things that matter to you." Ariadne avoided her eyes studiously after her declaration, cheeks a little pink.

Tanvi never knew feeling your heart break into a million pieces could ever feel good. "Hey."

Ariadne looked up at her, looking nervous. "Hey."

"I love you," Tanvi said and then moved to accommodate plates of food as they were delivered to the table. For once in her life, she completely forgot to thank the waitress, happy to smile like a moron at her unbelievably annoying girlfriend.

"Okay, okay, stop. You wanna eat?" Ariadne rolled her eyes, but smiled, fidgeting with her jacket.

"Oh yeah, I worked up a big appetite for some reason." Tanvi grinned as Ariadne scoffed.

"You jerk, I'm sorry, the lab-"

"No, no, I wouldn't want to get in the way of the next cure for cancer." Tanvi raised a hand, play-acting some more.

"Okay first off, not the cure to cancer, just some cellular regeneration research, and for your-"

"I'm kidding, please, please can we eat, you colossal nerd?" Tanvi smiled as she watched her headstrong, obnoxiously belligerent girlfriend surrender.

"This is not over, but fine." Ariadne laughed a little, looking at her almost shyly.

Tanvi smiled, wondering what other people saw when they looked at their table.

Did they see two confused, chaotic, and absolutely hopeless idiots having lunch?

Or did they understand they were looking at something special?

Did they see two, separate universes meeting?