Even If You're The Last

Aylin was late. Very late. She only narrowly avoided running her shoulder into the side of the coffee shop as she rushed around the corner. Instead she ran right into the back of a person. "Oof!” Aylin instinctively reached out and grabbed the back of the man to steady both of them. He barely got to turn around before she was rushing past him. 

“Sorry about that!” Her face did something between a wince and a smile. 

Luckily, or maybe not since she’d made quite a clumsy first impression, the tall shoulders belonged to a pair of very amused blue eyes and a wry grin. “It’s alright. Watch out for the door,” he said calmly, nodding his head in the direction of the coffee shop, which she almost again ran into. Aylin waved her thanks and kept going. “Aylin, right on time!” The barista placed two to-go cups on the counter, along with two brown paper bags. “You’re not funny Sal,” she said, “But you are a life saver. Thank you!” Aylin gave Sally an extra tip for somehow always knowing when she was going to be late. At 8:00 on the dot Aylin came through the door of the medical building where she worked. It was small, fitting with the town, and only had three separate offices inside. The one-story brown brick walls on the outside contrasted with the clean clinical interiors. ‘One day I’m going to slip on these floors they’re so shiny,’ Aylin thought. “Morning Aylin.” Her boss was already in her office, halfway through her paperwork. She still had half an hour before any appointments, but Aylin suspected the doctor didn’t play well with sleep. “Good morning Charleen.” Aylin took the lid off of the cup marked with a “B” on the lid and set the steaming black coffee on the desk. Charleen glanced up at her with a small smile, ignoring Aylin’s windblown hair. “This isn’t lunch, by the way, it’s breakfast,” she said sternly, setting one of the paper bags down beside the coffee. “You’re the best mom-friend I’ve ever had,” Charleen called out to her as Aylin went to boot up her computer in the receptionist area. Her computer was slow to wake up, a little like her in the morning, so she went to the bathroom to fix herself up before anyone else saw her. She’d worn her hair loose today. That may have been a mistake. It floated around her head like a halo, the silvery whips tangled in each other. She took out a brush and tamed it back down. There. That looked less like some strange creature looking out at her from the mirror. Sometimes she still startled herself when she caught a glimpse of her own reflection. Her fair hair, and even fairer skin were a stark contrast to her eyes that were the color of Charleen’s coffee that morning. Almost black. But not quite. She returned to her desk and sipped her latte as the first client came in. 

 ----- "Mom?!” Aylin yelled at the front door. “Are you home? Can you get the door?” She used her elbow to bang on the door. She was just about to set her grocery bags down to find her key when she heard the sound of someone behind the door. 

“Aylin?”

 “Grandma?” Her grandmother appeared as she opened the door. “You didn’t tell me you were coming!” Aylin was very happy to see her. It’d been at least two months. “Yes, well, it was a last minute decision. Your mom doesn’t even know yet. I was hoping she’d be home today.” Her grandmother’s eyes shifted to the side briefly, but came back and met Aylin’s with the usual warmth. “Did you carry the groceries all the way from town?” “I usually do,” Aylin smiled. “Mom’s at the shop today, she’ll be late coming home. They’re putting up a new display. Her new “Make It Like Magic” hair products.” She laughed a bit at the name, even though she was proud of it. She’d helped her mom come up with it. “Oh yes, that’s right, she told me about that the last time she called.” Her grandma was already busy in the kitchen putting away groceries. “Oh good, carrots!” Aylin laughed. “Making soup?” She didn’t have to ask, but she did anyway. It was tradition. ----- “How’s Doctor Charleen?” They were sitting in the small back garden, sipping soup out of giant multicolored mugs. “She’s good. Too busy for any new clients.” “Still not sleeping though?” Her grandma pinched some basil from the garden pot next to her and put it in her soup. “No,” Aylin sighed. “Eating?” “Barely. She seems fine though.” Her grandmother made a dissatisfied sound into her soup. “It will catch up with her. Are you making sure she has protein in the morning?”

 “Yes. I always get her an egg breakfast sandwich.”

 Her grandmother nodded. “What about turmeric?” “I dump some in her coffee now and then. I don’t think it’s anything we can help with… She’s already started calling me Mom.” Aylin rolled her eyes. “You should have been able to help though.” The comment was made softly, barely audible to Aylin. “What do you mean?” Her grandmother shook her head. “Nothing, nothing, I just know these things work.” “I think it has to be her choice.” Aylin was very much a believer in not forcing people to help themselves. It came in handy when clients got the impression that she was not pressuring them into making appointments. They seemed much more willing when they felt she was on their side. Her grandmother laughed. “What?” “That will do it. Your intention has to go into it otherwise it won’t work.” Aylin quietly sipped her soup. Both her mom and grandma had raised her to believe that her intention mattered. Like it was some magical thing that could grant wishes. But life so far had not worked that way for Aylin. Sure, she had breezed through high school and college, but that wasn’t hard in a small town with not much to do. And she only just made it to work on time every day, no matter how early she set her clock. She was still only able to run 3 miles even though she’d been working at it all summer. And her cooking skills were more like science experiments, especially compared to how her mom and grandma cooked. “You’ll grow into it, honey. You’re still so young.” Her grandma seemed so sure. “Maybe.”