Page 3 of These Fractured Bonds

“Erick, your shift doesn’t start for another six hours,” Donna said, intervening and saving Yareli.

“Geez, Donna. You hate it when I’m late, and the one time I’m early, you’re also unhappy.”

“Because you’re not here to work.”

Don scooted past Donna, grocery bags in hand, and nudged Yareli. “Those two are always bickering, but it’s good-natured. Promise.”

At his expectant look, Yareli followed him into the kitchen, where she helped him put away the groceries.

“Our pastries are popular, but they’re not our biggest attraction,” Don explained as they worked. He handed her a black, air-tight jar. “This is.”

She unscrewed the lid, curious, and was assaulted by a putrid smell. She slammed the lid shut.

“What is that?”

He looked at her, amusement lighting up his eyes, and he laughed. “It’s coffee beans.”

“No coffee beans smell like that.”

“Take a second look.”

Frowning, Yareli gingerly opened the jar; astonishment loosened her jaw, and she gaped. Gone was the awful odor, replaced by the familiar smell of coffee. She could have sworn it hadn’t been, but the evidence sat in her hands. The jar was indeed filled with coffee beans.

“Weird…” she muttered.

“Things certainly can be,” Don said.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know what they say. Things aren’t always what they seem.” He laughed, taking the jar away. “It’s nothing. Donna says I watch too many conspiracy videos. I’ll take care of the rest. Go check if she’s managed to shoo Erick away.”

Yareli stepped out of the kitchen, but not before she scrutinized Don one more time. He was handsome, reminding her of a famous actor, but those had definitely not been coffee beans the first time. She took her time walking across the kitchen, stalling in case Erick was still hanging around.

She peeked her head; he was gone.

“He had swim practice he was running late to,” Donna explained, materializing next to her, and Yareli stiffened.

She had a feeling Donna had a habit of suddenly appearing, like a specter; it was going to take her a while to get used to it.Anything was better than her previous manager, she reminded herself. They had been a micromanaging asshole from hell who had hounded her every shift.

“I take it he’s the coworker who runs late,” Yareli said.

“He is,” Donna said, showing her the cash register. “If I were you, I’d extort a hot chocolate from him every time.”

Yareli’s lips curled up. “Noted.”

“Now that you’ve met your coworkers, we can get started. You’ll shadow me for the first week. Afterward, you’ll be on your own with Don in the kitchen. He’ll help if there’s a rush of customers.”

As Donna continued to fire off instructions, Yareli fell into the familiar groove of the service industry. Prior to Enchanted Brew, she had been at a local diner for over a year. Manning the cash register and serving pastries and coffee came to her as easily as breathing. After all, she had spent a miserable three weeks at a chain cafe. By the time it was ten, she was spent. As expected, Erick was late. Donna had let Yareli clock out while she waited for him.

“Good work,” Donna said as Yareli, dressed in her clothes, walked past the counter. “See you tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” she replied, a surge of confidence making her feet lighter.

She knew she could impress them; all she had to do was believe in her experience. It was not, however, the sole reason she skipped to the bus stop; tomorrow was her weekly meet-up with August. She missed his calm, steady presence and his occasional teasing.

She inhaled, curling her hands into fists and remembering her promise.If this goes well, I’ll tell him how I feel.

As she clicked through her notifications, she ignored her family’s texts. She was exhausted; she would respond in the morning. She squashed her guilt by locking her phone as the bus arrived exactly three minutes late and took her seat. The city rushed by, the nightlife ramping up as the moon rose. Yareli hadn’t gone out in almost six months; working and attending school full-time meant she was always busy. Her family could wait a few hours; Yareli deserved the rest. Except, family didn’t always wait.