Page 14 of Starfall

“There you go, Row. Who is this?”

“This is Emery. She owns the café across the street from the gym.”

“Nice to meet you, Emery. Your face is very familiar.” The woman who’s name tag saidMeggrinned.

“I just have one of those faces.” She looked around and saw a ton of photos around the dining area. “Family place? I haven’t been here before.”

“With an appetite like yours? I am surprised.” Rowen smiled.

“I can’t ever get in. Too busy, and they don’t take reservations.” She looked at the walls and saw a familiar face but much younger and thinner.

She slowly turned toward him. “Your family?”

He grinned. “What gave it away?”

“You are all over these walls.” She smiled, and Meg gasped.

Emery looked at her. “Is something wrong?”

“You are the lady he has been sketching since he was a teen. I just thought it was a weird fantasy, but you actually... wow.” Meg grinned. “Lemonade?”

“Um, yes, please.”

Rowen was looking innocent and had the menu elevated.

“Rowen?”

“Yes?” He didn’t look up.

“You have sketches of me?”

“I told you Autumn gave me your image when I was worried about being alone forever. He told me I just had to wait, and when I accepted that, we fused, and I got to walk without pain.” He shrugged. “With your image in my mind, I started drawing you in art class as a teen and just continued. You are my doodle when my mind thinks of nothing else.”

“Wow. Well, that’s... now you made this weird.”

He looked at her, his expression worried.

She snorted and held his hand, squeezing lightly. “Like this could get weirder. Okay, what’s good here?”

He smiled and began to advise her so that when Meg returned, they were ready. She grinned and asked, “Are you sure you want all that?”

“Yes, I have been working up an appetite.”

Meg winked at Rowen and left.

Emery blinked. “Oh, I hear how that sounded now. Do you bring dates here often?”

“No. This is a first, so my family is drawing a bunch of inferences. Don’t be surprised if they pop out of the kitchen to bring extra water or napkins one by one.”

“Your whole family works here?”

“Yeah. My parents own it, and siblings and cousins work it.” Rowen smiled. “I used to be the greeter, and we could fit a lot fewer tables in this section when there had to be room for my chair. They currently have some accessible spaces near the front, which is nice. I remember how hard it was to get through when someone pulled their chair out. That was annoying, and I still keep an eye out for pathways to restrooms, just in case.”

“That is a very endearing hobby.”

He shrugged. “I remember how hard it was, and if I can ease that even once, I will.”

“You could just carry them.”

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