Love, Emma

Chapter Fourteen:

"SNOWWWWWWWWWWW DAYYYYYYYYYY!" Luke squeals, nearly breaking my ear drums. His voice echoes in the quiet of my room, and in my hurry to shush him I'm afraid I woke up the whole household.

"Luke, Gosh, it's six in the morning, are you crazy?" I whisper-shout, covering my mouth and the speaker on my phone to as not wake anyone else.

"But Emmmmmm it's a snow day today." He whines, and I can practically imagine his pout as he talks, his eyes wide in the dark of his room.

"Yes, I know thanks. So we'll do the usual ri-" I don't even get the chance to finish before he cuts me off, the excitement back in his voice tenfold.

"I'll be at there at one." He clicks of, ending the call, and I groan, rolling over to press my face into the pillows. Placing my phone on the nightstand, I curl back up to retake my sleep, ready to fall peacefully into my slumber until seven thirty, an appropriate time for me to get up seeing as my alarm will go off.

Finally, after ten minutes of tossing and turning, I'm here on the brink of sleep with my eyelids fluttering closed, my breathing quiet and relaxed down to its usual place-

"EMMA! EMMA IT'S A SNOWWWWWW DAYYYYYY!!!" Matteo is squealing, pounding on my door simultaneously, in rhythm to his shouted words.

Flopping onto my back, I groan- and then, as his knocking persists, I can't help it- I laugh.

.  .  .  .  .

Double knotting my apron, I make my way to the counter, readied for the abundance of customers I'll be facing today. Although it's not my day to work, Helen will need all the help she can get with the snow day- the cold weather draws people in, and it always makes the Belmonte a rather busy place, to the point where we run out of tables to seat everyone.

I save poor Enzo from waiting tables and working the counter, taking over his spot by the cash register to take orders so he can help Nathan waiting tables.

"It's a mad house out there, thank you so much," Enzo whispers, squeezing my shoulder as he walks by, a tray overflowing with mugs and plates balanced in his other hand.

I take orders as fast as I can, passing them off to Enzo and Nathan in between their runs so they can bring them into the kitchen, where Matteo, and Helen are busting their butts making everything and readying plates. Once the line dies down and the morning rush ends I pick up a tray and help serving, carrying out the last of the orders to the patiently waiting customers.

Returning to my post, I lean back against the counter, exhausted by the early morning shift. Propping my elbows on the countertop and cupping my chin in my hands, I glance around the bustling café- light chatter and laughter fills the room, accompanied by the familiar carols playing over the radio. A number of people have gathered around the tree to admire our handy work, soft smiles on their faces as they point out their favorite ornament. I watch elderly couples reminisce and laugh, I watch young couples flirt and blush, hiding their rosy cheeks behind their mugs. I hold witness to numerous business men slaving over their laptops, files and paper spread out around them. I watch groups of friends laughing and talking all at once, multiple conversations rolled into one, much like my friends and I when we get together.

The air is warm and smiles adorn so many faces and the carols are playing, and a little girl, somewhere in the cluster of tables, lets out a shrill laugh, full of joy and happiness. It's a room of moments, a room of life- a room where memories have been made for years and will continue to be made.

I alone am bearing witness to a moment in time, a moment in life, where all these strangers will cross paths- where for a matter of minutes, or maybe hours, these people are a part of each others lives- they together, build up a moment in one persons life, and thus being a part of the next persons' life.