Restart with a Stranger

Chapter 4: Crossing Paths

The morning air felt crisp as Ava stepped into her favorite coffee shop, Brewed Awakening, hoping to escape the growing ache in her chest that had accompanied her ever since her divorce. The familiar scent of roasted beans and the comforting hum of quiet chatter greeted her, offering a sense of normalcy, if only for a moment.

She pulled her coat tighter around her and headed to the counter. Her fingers hovered over her phone, thinking about Liam. They had been texting more often lately, sharing pieces of themselves that they had not shared with anyone else. Ava found herself smiling at their latest exchange, where they had bonded over their love for coffee. He had mentioned a place he liked to frequent, but they hadn’t yet exchanged the names of their spots.

Ava: Morning. Have you had your coffee yet?

She hit send and waited, glancing at the menu but already knowing her order by heart: a vanilla latte with a dash of cinnamon. The barista, already familiar with her, smiled as he started on her usual.

Her phone buzzed with a response.

Liam: Not yet. I’m in line. What’s your go-to?

Ava: Vanilla latte with cinnamon. What about you?

She smiled, imagining him in line at a coffee shop, their lives parallel. It was comforting to know that, in some small way, they were doing the same thing at the same time, even though they were physically apart. For someone she had never met, Liam had quickly become a steady presence in her life, an anchor she hadn’t realized she needed.

The barista called out her name, and she collected her drink, stepping to the side to wait for a free table. The shop was busier than usual this morning, and most of the tables were occupied by students, freelancers, and the usual regulars she recognized but had never spoken to.

Across town, Liam stepped into Morning Brew, his favorite coffee shop for as long as he could remember. The line was short today, and he tapped his foot while waiting for his turn to order. He had been thinking about Ava more and more lately, wondering what she looked like and what her life was like beyond their texts. It was strange how connected he felt to someone he had never seen. In their conversations, it was easy to forget the anonymity—they shared their thoughts, struggles, and little quirks about themselves that made their bond feel real.

He glanced down at his phone, reading Ava’s response. Vanilla latte with cinnamon. He wouldn’t mind trying that next time, but today, he stuck to his usual black coffee, no sugar.

Liam: Black coffee for me. No sugar. Keeps me grounded.

Ava laughed softly at his reply, finding it fitting. Liam seemed like the kind of person who preferred things simple. On the other hand, she liked her comforts—a little sweetness to cut through the bitterness.

She found an empty table near the window and sat down, scrolling through their previous texts. Their conversations had become more personal lately, touching on topics they hadn’t shared with anyone else. There was something freeing about talking to someone who didn’t know her past or wasn’t part of the life she had left behind. With Liam, she could be anyone—or, rather, herself without the weight of expectations.

Meanwhile, Liam sat at a small corner table in Morning Brew, sipping his coffee as he stared out the window. His phone buzzed with Ava’s message.

Ava: Black coffee? You’re braver than me!

Liam chuckled, picturing her scrunched-up face at the thought of drinking her coffee without sugar or cream. The ease with which they communicated had surprised him from the start. Talking to Ava quickly became the highlight of his day, a lifeline during the emotional storm that followed his divorce. They didn’t talk about anything particularly groundbreaking—sometimes, it was just the day-to-day minutiae, but there was comfort in the routine.

But there were also moments of depth, like when Ava confessed that she often felt like a stranger in her own life and wasn’t sure who she was now that she was no longer a wife. Liam had understood that feeling all too well.

As he typed out a response, Liam wondered how long they could keep this up without meeting. He wasn’t sure he was ready to take that step, to put a face to the words, but a part of him wondered what it would be like to finally see her, to know the woman behind the texts.

Liam: I like my coffee. I want my life to be straightforward and no-nonsense.

Ava smiled at that. She was about to reply when her phone rang, startling her. It was her mother, and she considered ignoring it for a moment. But she sighed, knowing she couldn’t avoid family forever. She picked up the call, her voice steady despite the frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Oh, Ava! I was wondering if you’d had time to think about the dinner on Sunday. Your sister is coming into town, and it would be nice if we could all get together. You’ve been so distant lately…”

Ava pinched the bridge of her nose, already feeling the weight of the conversation. Her mother made her feel guilty for every choice she made, every step that led her away from the image of the perfect daughter.

“I’ll think about it, Mom. I’ve just been swamped,” Ava lied, knowing she wasn’t ready to sit through another family dinner filled with awkward silences and judgmental looks.

As she hung up, Ava sighed heavily, feeling the tension she had tried to escape, creeping back in. She glanced around the coffee shop, her eyes briefly meeting those of a man across the room. He was sitting alone, looking out the window, his dark hair slightly tousled, with a thoughtful expression. She felt a strange sense of familiarity for a moment, but she shook it off, chalking it up to the fact that they were both solitary figures in a crowded space.

She took another sip of her latte, her thoughts returning to Liam.

Unbeknownst to both, Liam had also caught sight of her, though he didn’t give it much thought. He was too wrapped up in his mind, pondering the complexities of the connection he was building with this stranger on the other end of the phone. Meeting Ava had crossed his mind a few times, but he wasn’t ready to break the anonymity like her. It was safer this way and more accessible to open up when you didn’t have to see the other person’s face.

For now, they remained unaware of how close their lives were, two strangers in the same city, unknowingly sharing space while remaining worlds apart.