The cafe

 She was sitting at an outdoor café when he first saw her. Dressed in a red sundress and matching high heels, her golden-brown hair was tied back with a yellow ribbon. Her lips were cherry red, almost waiting to be kissed. A car backfired, startling her, and she let out a small yelp, looking around to see if anyone had noticed. That's when her gaze met his.

He was dressed in a soldier's uniform, his trousers neatly pressed, his jacket adorned with medals, and his hat cocked slightly to the side. Was he waiting for someone? She wondered; it was funny because so was she. He took a seat and ordered something, smiling at the waitress, who noticeably blushed as she hurried away.

Both of them glanced at their watches several times, and then, as if by some magic, they stood up just a few feet from each other. Their eyes locked for a brief moment before they went their separate ways.

Twenty years later, she found herself at the same outdoor café where it all began. She wore a red sundress and matching heels, with a yellow ribbon in her hair—a somewhat crazy thing to do, she told herself, but something stronger than her had drawn her there. At that exact moment, as she looked around, she noticed a man sitting not far away; he was strikingly handsome, with pressed trousers and a jacket in a shade of army green. His hat was tilted a little to the side, just enough to catch her attention.

Slowly, he stood up and walked toward her. Placing a photograph on her table. She picked it up and saw that it was an image of him after the war, still in his uniform. "I've been looking for you my entire life," he said, as tears began to roll down her cheeks, one landing on the photograph, which she gently wiped away.

Call it fate, call it luck, or call it whatever you like, but on that day, two souls came together, each searching for a timeless love that was meant to be. He softly kissed her ruby-red lips, a taste he had dreamed of for all those years, hoping she wouldn't pull away as his lips met hers in a kiss that brought applause and even a few tears to those in the café. They were last seen holding hands, walking down the streets of a once war-torn village where two hearts had finally become as one.

Mike 2025