Thinya woke up at 4AM that morning, unable to fall back asleep and burdened with thoughts she wished she could've chased away. It was one of those days where her heart felt empty and she doubted the choices she made in her own life. After leaving London, devastated by the tragic death of the only person who truly believed in her, Thinya moved across the world to settle in a small town. One where she hoped she would find peace.

Her first week was uneventful. She had visited Elias' farm to tend to one of his goats and simply tended to clients at the vet clinics. Animals were the only comfort she found when darkness invaded her heart. They had so much love to give and she was there for them.

However, today was her day off. While the woman always carried her professional phone for emergencies, she decided to go for a walk at Evergreen Park. She still had to discover the town, meet new people. It was 12PM when she walked down the path that would lead her to the beautiful river. Still slightly intimidated, the woman noticed a few people enjoying the sunny day and she wondered: should she approach people? Perhaps they wanted to enjoy their peaceful day and not have a complete stranger disturb them?

To make his shop famous and beloved, Leo decided to give away free samples for a few days. He wasn’t concerned that customers would stop coming after that; he was confident that his bread was delicious enough to keep them coming back for more. Since the weather was warm enough for people to walk outside, Leo thought the best way to promote himself was to set up a small chalkboard outside with the sign “Tell me your favorite song, get one free loaf.”

Feeling like the chalkboard wasn't attention-grabbing enough, Leo sat down on the curb and set himself to draw a colorful design outside of the shop with as many colored chalks as he had. "Do you have a favorite song for me?" Leo said, looking up as a figure cast a shadow right above him.

Jacq rested her forearms against the bar, a Jack and Coke steady between her hands like it belonged there. “There you are,” she muttered after a sip, the burn familiar yet comforting, enough to take the edge off. One drink wasn’t enough, not tonight, so she tapped the rim of her glass lightly against the counter. “Second one’s always better,” she said, sliding her glass forward for a refill. The place was loud, busy, and chaotic, which suited her. It was easier to lose herself in the noise than deal with quiet.

She turned on her stool, scanning the room without much focus until someone nearby caught her attention. Not for any big reason, just enough to stand out. Jacq watched them for a second, then lifted her glass slightly in their direction. “Long night, or just getting started?” she called over, voice carrying without trying too hard. She took another sip and shrugged. “Either way, I’m hoping it gets more interesting than this.”

But the staring was beginning to get to him, the third time now. "Alright, you got me. I didn't pay for a ticket," he said, the confession feeling like it echoed through the mostly empty theater particularly loudly.

This would've felt a hell of a lot more like a walk of shame if it weren't so damn cold. Iggy hugged himself as he walked, mittenless hands tucked into the armpits of his ragged coat. He'd stolen a hat that morning, just some red knitted beanie that covered dirty curls and kept his ears warm. In the layers of clothing it was almost as if he were just another pedestrian wandering down the sidewalk that morning. Nearly impossible to tell he hadn't been home since the afternoon before. Except, of course, for the glitter on his eyes that was now smeared down his temples and a bit on one of his cheeks. And there was the very obvious look of someone who had not been sober just hours ago, bags under his eyes showing how little he'd slept.

He was nearing the street his apartment was on when he suddenly stopped in his tracks, cold fingers leaving their warm armpits to pat frantically at all of his pockets. And then he groaned, loudly, and fell to a lean with his back against the nearest brick wall. Pouting, a little childishly, because he was realizing now he'd forgotten his keys. Iggy glared at the ground, only getting more frustrated when he saw another pair of boots stopping near him. "What, you've never seen someone experiencing distress in the fuckin' cold? Get outta here," he snarled, before finally looking up to see if he even recognized the individual.

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Jasper waited impatiently as the minutes ticked by slower than they've ever done. It was snowy out and the storm wasn't letting up. There hadn't been a single person through the door his entire shift and he wasn't expecting that to change within the next hour. Jasper cracked open a redbull, kicked his feet up on the counter and turned the music up a bit to try keeping himself awake.

Ding.

The bell above the door rang out, forcing Jaspers eyes open. Shit. How long had he been out for? Hopefully the boss wouldn't find out. He glanced up at the clock—ah only 10 minutes—before turning his attention to the door. "You're crazy for being out in the weather, man" he said as the person came into full view.

Diego leaned against the counter, wiping down the bar for the third time out of sheer boredom, apron dusted with coffee grounds and a little milk foam heart dried near the pocket. Thirty minutes. So close he could taste it. And then, as if the universe was here to cure his boredom, the bell above the door jingled. Diego straightened instantly, slapping a hand to the counter like he’d been summoned to duty.

“Hello, Scotty? Yeah, it appears we’ve beaned another one up to the motherboard. Get the espresso engines running!” He grinned wide as he looked up, eyes bright with mischief before softening into something warmer. “Welcome to The Bean! You’re in luck—I’ve got about thirty minutes left on shift, which means…” he leaned in just a bit, lowering his voice like he was letting them in on a secret, “you’ve got thirty minutes to have your out-of-this-world coffee made by the coolest barista in the whole galaxy.”

Her hand gently brushed the fabrics as Pippa wandered through the vintage store. Her eyes darted from rack to rack, searching for something cute yet functional. After spending the past couple of months wilting away in sweats, she wanted to start over and feel cute again for the first time in a long time. Who said you couldn’t look cute while renovating an old farmhouse that was closer to collapsing than being liveable? Pippa’s gaze landed on a pair of denim dungarees. There was a little wear and tear, but the straps were decorated with embroidered daisies and leaves. They would definitely match the blouse she’d already taken off the rack earlier, the perfect combination.

At that moment, her full attention was on the item of clothing hanging only a few feet away. So much so that Pippa didn’t realise how close she’d gotten to the complete stranger standing between her and the pair of dungarees. “I’m so sorry — are you alright?” she blurted, hoping the bump hadn’t been too painful on their end. Pippa caught a glimpse of the item the other was holding. “Were you thinking of getting that? I bet it would look wonderful on you,” she offered in an attempt to make the situation at least a little less uncomfortable.