The week drifted by in a blur of early mornings, steady routines, and quiet moments that seemed to matter more than either of them wanted to admit.
Maple Hollow was beginning to settle into its autumn rhythm — the trees at the edge of town blushing with color, the smell of woodsmoke curling through the air. The café had grown busier with the chill, but Hannah and Emma moved through it all in sync, their small smiles and shared glances threading warmth through even the most hectic days.
On Thursday afternoon, the sky was a soft gray, rain threatening again. The café was quieter than usual — just a handful of regulars scattered across the tables, the hum of conversation low and easy.
Emma leaned against the counter, tapping her pen absently against her notebook. "You ever notice how this town slows down before it rains?"
Hannah looked up from the espresso machine. "Everyone knows to take it easy. Once it starts, nobody's going anywhere."
"Maybe that's what I like about it," Emma said. "The world just… pauses here."
Hannah smiled at that, her hands stilling for a moment. "That's what I wanted when I opened this place. A reason to slow down."
When the drizzle finally began, Hannah turned the lights a little lower, and the café took on that cozy, golden hush — the kind of quiet that made you want to stay.
Emma put her pen down. "You close early on nights like this?"
"Sometimes," Hannah said, glancing toward the windows streaked with rain. "It depends on who's here."
Emma grinned, catching her meaning. "And tonight?"
"Tonight feels like an early night," Hannah said softly.
They shared an unspoken smile — one of those moments that felt both ordinary and full of possibility. Outside, the rain came down steady and sure, wrapping the little café in its soft rhythm.
By the time Hannah flipped the sign to Closed, the world beyond the glass was quiet, washed clean again.