Chapter 59 Fifty-eight

• The diner bustles with activities as I make my way into the farthest corner away from the door. I sight Clarissa behind the counter, hair pulled tight into a sleek bun with her lips moving rapidly as she attends to a customer. The smell of pastries, plus the aroma of freshly made coffee and the noise of the diners have my nostrils flaring in delight. I tip my hat and inhale the air of deliciousness, a feeling of nostalgia creeping up on me.
• Settling into the only unoccupied booth, I cast one look out the window where people mill around in groups of twos and threes. Our school is a few minutes walk from here. My eyes narrow in on my car; my baby looking out of place in that spot between smaller cars. It still feels odd, almost surreal to know I have one. My fingers splay on the window, something warm stirs in my chest, I can’t wait for our second ride as a couple.
• A kid falls off his bicycle, his mum squats to help him up and he swats her hand. The pity rising to the surface dies at his action, a scowl forms on my face and the corners of my lips twitch. Her morose expression shows she is used to him rejecting her help and the subtle swiping of a finger across her cheek has my heart clenching. I saw the traitorous tear she was quick to wipe off, the smile she plasters on her lips as her son starts riding is easily identifiable as fake. My chest tightens, it bothers me and I don’t know why.