Chapter 5: When the World Slowed Down

Adrian didn’t plan to stop.
He never did.

The morning sun was still soft, the kind of gold that clung to windows and rooftops, making everything look gentler than it really was. He was on his usual route, headphones in, his thoughts wandering somewhere between a new project at work and the playlist that never changed.

But then-there it was.
A small corner cafe, tucked between a bookstore and a florist, its windows glowing like warmth had a shape. He’d seen it before, he thought. Maybe. But today it looked different, almost like it had been waiting for him.

He hesitated, hands in his pockets. The smell of roasted beans drifted towards him - not his favorite, but oddly comforting. And right beside the door stood a bucket of sunflowers, leaning towards the light.

Adrian exhaled a small laugh.
“Sunflowers,” he murmured, as if the word itself had called him in.

He pushed the door open.

The bell above chimed softly. A swirl of vanilla, sugar and something floral met him, wrapping the air in warmth, and before he could take another step a cheerful voice called out from behind the counter.

“Well, hello there, handsome stranger! What brings you to my little corner today?”

Adrian turned towards the sound, smiling despite himself. An elderly woman stood there - silver hair tied in a loose bun, her apron smudged with traces of soil and flour. Her eyes were bright and mischievous, like she’d seen the world, but never stopped finding joy in it.

“Good morning, ma’am,” he said with an easy smile. “I saw the sunflowers outside. Thought I’d take some.”

Mrs. Alder grinned. “Ah, a man with taste and manners - rare combination these days.”

Adrian chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “You flatter me already.”

“That’s my job,” she said, reaching for a cloth to wipe her hands. ”Give me a moment, dear. They’re freshly trimmed - only the best ones are for those who notice beauty.”

Her words lingered, light but meaningful. And as she moved to the back, Adrian took a slow look around.

The cafe wasn’t large, but it felt…alive. Warm wood counters, old books stacked neatly near the windows, mismatched chairs that somehow looked perfect together. There were fresh flowers everywhere - daisies, tulips and the faintest scent of lavender in the air.

And then - his gaze caught something.
Someone..

Behind the counter, a woman stood in the morning light.

Her back was turned at first - she was placing pastries on a tray, focused, graceful in that absent minded way people are when they’re at home in their world. Her hair was tied up loosely, a few strands slipping free and catching the sunlight. When she brushed one away, the light caught her face - soft, warm, effortlessly beautiful.

Adrian froze.

Something about her felt… familiar, though he knew he’d never seen her before.
There was stillness around her - not emptiness, but calm. Like watching rain from inside a quiet room.

Then she turned slightly, the sunlight spilling across her face - and for a moment, the world seemed to slow.

Her eyes - deep brown, quiet but alive - held stories he couldn’t even begin to guess. The light touched them just right, making them glimmer, while her lashes cast faint shadows across her cheek as she looked down.

She reached up, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The motion was small, unthinking - but when she did, the collar of her shirt shifted slightly, and that’s when he saw it.

A tiny mole, just below the curve of her neck.

Something inside him faltered. His heartbeat - steady seconds ago - stumbled, then raced to catch up. He didn’t even realize he’d been holding his breath until he exhaled.

There was something painfully human about the moment - as if he’d stumbled into a memory he hadn’t lived yet.

Mrs. Alder’s voice brought him back, “Here you go dear,” she said, handling him a bouquet of sunflowers. “They’re as bright as the day itself.”

Adrian smiled, taking them carefully. “Thankyou. They’re beautiful".”

She tilted her head, studying him. “Funny, you don’t look like the coffee type.”

He laughed softly. “I’m not. Just the flower type, I guess.”

“Well,” Mrs. Alder said with a wink, “you walked into the right place then - we have both kinds of magic here.”

He looked back towards the counter, but the woman - she - was now turned away, talking quietly to the younger girl arranging the pastries, Still, the light caught her again, and for a second, he thought may be Mrs. Alder was right.

Maybe there was something magical here!