Chapter 6: Sunlight and Sugar.

The cafe was breathing again - that familiar morning hum Kaia loved the most. The sound of clinking cups, the smell of vanilla, and the faint music drifting from the old radio perched by the window.

Elena was talking, as usual - her words tumbling faster than Kaia’s thoughts could keep up. “So, hear me out - what if we add raspberry glaze to the chocolate muffins? People love red things, you know. It’ll look fancy, and we can name it something poetic like -”

Kaia interrupted without looking up from the counter. ”Like sugar with regret?”

Elena gasped. “You have to stop roasting me before I’ve had coffee.”

Kaia smiled faintly. “You were late again. Consider this caffeine for your conscience.”

Elena rolled her eyes, reaching for the tray of croissants. “You’re lucky I love you.”

Kaia laughed softly - a sound she didn’t realize had grown rare. She moved to the espresso machine, the steam wrapping around her like a cloud, her fingers moving automatically through the motions. The smell of roasted beans filled the air - something grounding, something she could always rely on.

The sunlight caught the glass jars behind her, making the sugar crystals glimmer faintly. She paused, just for a second, watching how the light spread across the counter, warming the wood. The cafe always looked softer in this hour - like it held secrets the world outside.

Elena brought over a fresh batch of muffins. “You’re quiet today,” she said, arranging them on the stand.

Kaia shrugged.” Just thinking.”

“About?”

Kaia looked out of the window. ”Nothing in particular.”

But there was something - that odd flutter she’d woken up with this morning, that quiet restlessness she couldn’t name. It wasn’t worry. It wasn’t excitement. Just…. something waiting.

Before she could dwell on it, the bell over the door chimed.
She turned slightly - but it was only the delivery man, dropping off supplies.

And yet, for a reason she didn’t understand, her eyes flickered towards the flowers by the entrance. The sunflowers seemed brighter somehow, their yellow petals catching the light right. She smiled faintly at them and back to her work, unaware that someone - not long ago - had stood there looking at her the same way.