I thought you might want some caffeine.

I remember this day vividly. Your overalls. The pink shirt. Your order I unknowingly memorized after hearing it once. The way whipped cream clung to your upper lip.

I can’t wait to give you a hug.

Are you game for another adventure?

-H

You know my coffee order, Henry.

I think I might miss you too, Henry.

I take a deep breath, reading the words again. There are two clear options here: I follow the note or I leave and go home.

There’s a tug in my chest, a yank toward something outside the store. Somewhere other than the safety of my house.

A quiet, calm voice is whispering in my ear:

Jump.

Dive in.

I promise it’s safe.

It’ll be worth it.

Another deep inhale and exhale. I know what I want to do.

“Another adventure?”

“Don’t feel pressured to answer in a way you think he wants to hear,” Jack says. “Don’t make a rushed decision. He’s willing to wait. Trust me.”

“Where’s the next stop?”

He pulls his phone out of his pocket, reading a hidden message. “Go outside and see.”

“Can we high-five? We need to do some sort of goodbye.”

Jack chuckles. “I’m a fan of high-fives.” Our palms connect and he smiles. “Hey, one last thing before you go. Henry helped save my own relationship when I fucked up, and I’m sorry you wonderful women have to put up with us and our shit. I’m not trying to sway you a certain way or tell you what you should or shouldn’t do in regard to your situation. I’m not excusing his actions at all. I do want to tell you this, though: He’s a good man who cares about you a heck of a lot. It always irked him that you weren’t affected by his charming personality. You got under his skin, Emma, and you’ve stayed there. For years. I know you might think this whole ‘Henry with one woman’ thing is a recent development, but I think it’s more of a ‘Henry was passing the time while waiting for his perfect woman who’s been there all along’ kind of thing. Turns out, the one perfect woman is you. Who would have thought?”

My eyes start to water. Tears are forming and soaking my cheeks, his powerful words hitting me with a baseball bat of understanding and recognition. I sniff, wiping my nose with the sleeve of my sweatshirt. Jack graciously looks away, giving me a minute to gather myself.

“Thank you,” I say when I’m ready, hugging the drink tightly to my chest. “Who am I seeing next?”

“Patrick. Figured you’d need two good guys first so you wouldn’t kick Neil in the nuts when you saw him. It’d be deserved, though, if the feeling still strikes you.”

I laugh, sniffing again. “Fair point.”