The bell above the door rang through the cafe and Gabriela slowly got to her feet, adding the finishing touches to her drawing, then setting the tablet aside as she waited for the newcomer to approach the counter. The cafe operated mainly on self-service, so for the time being, she could handle the work by herself. Today seemed especially quiet, which was more or less normal for a Monday afternoon.
“Hi.”
She locked the tablet and looked up, her eyes landing on the now-familiar face of their most regular customer. He wasn’t wearing the school uniform this time, just a set of dark jeans and a shirt that fitted him a bit too well. His handsome face blossomed in a disarming smile, which never failed to cause a problem for her breathing.
He had been coming every morning and late afternoon f
