Page 6 of Never Too Late

So instead, while he spent his time partying and chasing anyone who caught his attention, I spent my time focusing on my degree, which would in turn give us the stability we needed. I enjoyed university for the most part but was thankful when it was over. As much as I enjoyed the knowledge I was taking in, the lifestyle and everything that came with it wasn’t for me. I often found myself feeling overwhelmed and ended up making every excuse possible not to attend socials like my other course mates and housemates did. However, one thing that completely caught me off guard while studying for a business degree – getting my heart broken. But I guess that’s karma’s way of telling me I shouldn’t have let someone in after spending so much time alone. No matter how much I tried to ignore Jae, the green of his eyes captured me from the first moment I looked into them. I had never had so much interest in anyone or anything as I had with him.

I could argue that he had compelled me or hypnotised me in some way, but those green eyes, so similar to emeralds, offered me more security than I had ever been given before. Without a thought or moment of hesitation, I knew they were the ones I wanted to look into every day.

And I still would if I could.

Walking into Cee’s next door, the aroma of coffee invades my senses, and I am instantly indebted for the welcome it offers me. Cee’s quickly became a home away from home when we moved into town.

We quickly learnt Cee knew our mum in her younger years, and the news of her passing hit him as hard as it hit us. He explained he tried to contact us to see if he could be of any help, but after multiple attempts, he couldn’t find us, and was thrilled when we finally managed to cross paths. Apparently, Mum worked in the coffee shop before Ty was born, and Cee told us many stories which had us laughing as though we’d witnessed them ourselves. We grew up without a Grandad, but to us, blood didn’t matter, and Cee quickly became family.

“Coffee is in the pot! Help yourself, son.”

His booming voice breaks through the noisy chattering of customers, and I turn in its direction. Cee is waiting on a couple at a table as he faces me with a smile. Despite how busy he always is, it never fades, and his laughter is always heard throughout the café. It isn’t unusual to be this busy on a weekend, but whether there are ten customers or two, his grin never fades and his laughter is never absent. “Hey, old man, sit down. I’ve got it,” I say, helping him with the multiple plates he’s got in hand.

Sometimes when the café is bustling with people, me or Ty will help out. As a way of showing his gratitude, he always sends us out the door with a warm drink in one hand and a pastry in the other, swearing that he’s fine and doesn’t need the help. That old man is as stubborn as they get.

After most of the customers clear out and there isn’t much to do, I leisurely stroll around the back of the counter, glancing around for anything else that needs to be done. When I don’t notice anything else, I start the coffee machine and make two coffees to take back to the shop with me.

My coffee order has remained the same ever since I started drinking it.

Black, two sugars.

The smell of coffee beans brings me some comfort while I wait for it to brew, bringing back memories of the one person who managed to break through my walls.

Maybe that explains why I’m so obsessed with it.

Chapter two

Dax

“No matter how much time I spend away from you, it’s too much. I never want to do it again.”

Work had gone quicker than other days, most likely thanks to the sun making an appearance and people following in its stead. No matter how busy or quiet it can be though, I’m always grateful for the life it’s giving us – the record shop was a dream come true for me. But I think for Ty, too. While studying, I started to work part-time in a small record shop not far from campus, mostly to pass the time. I didn’t go out much and was always frugal with my money, so any extra I had left over after purchasing necessities was used to add to the collection of tattoos that were now covering my body.

Not long after I started working at the shop, I felt with every fibre of my being, there was nothing else I would rather do. I knew eventually I would want to combine my love and passion for music into something that would allow me to give back to others.

I wanted to offer a safe place, an outlet for those who needed it most.

And so, Ocean Notes Records was born.

Ty didn’t question me once when I mentioned the idea of opening our own record shop, he didn’t shut me down, he didn’t tell me I was stupid. Not like others. Instead, he told me what a good idea it was. I laughed in panic when I realised how onboard he was and since it was my idea, he told me the name of the store could be whatever I wanted it to be.

That was the easiest part of it all.

We shared a moment of laughter together at first. Him laughing at the name, me laughing at how awkward I felt for what I had spoken out loud. But for once, I had to take myself seriously. When we stopped, I plucked up the courage to explain why the name was important to me, and nervously awaited questions about why it was so important. Questions I wasn’t prepared to answer. I felt a large amount of ease the moment he agreed to the name. I stopped panicking and started focusing on the shop becoming a real place and no longer just an idea in the back of my head. Having the shop allowed me to focus on other things and with the help of some others, we were able to turn the place around faster than we thought would have been possible. Special shout out to the late nights, no sleep, and endless amounts of coffee from next door. We were able to open the doors of the shop two weeks after we moved in.

We made it, Mum.

Opening day was both a huge disaster and overwhelming success. More people came by than expected, and we probably wouldn’t have made it past the first hour without the help of those around us. But somehow, we survived.

Our best friend and guardian angel was watching from above, making sure things went as smoothly as possible, but secretly, I dread to think how things would have actually gone if she was here on the day. We always wondered if Mum had OCD – the mess we made would have been her worst nightmare. But the only thing that was important to us was that we made her proud. And I believe that’s exactly what we did.

One can hope, anyway.

From the moment we closed the door on opening day, we made a vow to one another. We would do the best we could with the shop, we would open, no matter the circumstances, and ensure those who needed a safe space, or a calming zone had access to one at times they would need it the most.

But today was shaping up to be one of our most difficult since opening day.

I couldn’t concentrate no matter how hard I tried. My train of thought seemed to keep wandering to the one place it shouldn’t.

---