The Little Things He Does
374 Words
The rain had returned again that morning, falling softly against the glass windows of the café. Amara didn’t expect Ethan to show up — not with weather like this. But just as she turned to wipe down a table, the door opened.
He stepped in, raindrops clinging to his hair and shoulders, carrying something wrapped in brown paper.
“You came,” she said, surprised.
“I promised I’d see you today,” he replied simply, shaking the rain from his jacket. “Besides, I couldn’t let the weather win.”
She laughed softly. “You must really love coffee.”
“Maybe,” he said with a smile. “But not as much as I enjoy the company that comes with it.”
Her cheeks warmed immediately. She tried to hide her blush by busying herself with the coffee machine, but her hands felt unsteady.
As he sat down, he placed the brown paper package on the counter. “This is for you,” he said.
“What is it?” she asked, her curiosity breaking through her shyness.
“Open it and see.”
Inside was a small sketch — a beautiful pencil drawing of the café. But what caught her attention wasn’t the tables or the window; it was the girl behind the counter. Her.
“You drew this?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Ethan nodded. “You always look like you belong here. I wanted to capture that.”
For a moment, Amara couldn’t speak. She’d never received something so thoughtful, so personal.
“I don’t know what to say,” she murmured.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said gently. “Just… keep it.”
She met his gaze and smiled — a real smile this time, one that reached her eyes. “Thank you, Ethan. It’s beautiful.”
He shrugged lightly, but his expression softened. “So are you.”
The café went silent again, but it wasn’t awkward. It was warm. Safe.
For the first time in years, Amara felt seen — really seen — and that feeling scared her as much as it made her heart flutter.
Because somehow, without even trying, Ethan was finding his way into her heart.
- Writer
