Breathing In

Chapter // Three

Almost every night before I go to bed I grab a stack of the cups, and start reading some of the cute things Luke had written me. Nothing else that I have in my room could mean more to me, and they're cups. But, they're not only cups to me. They're everything to me. They show how much Luke payed attention to me. Some of the messages would be talking about how he can tell that I was in a good mood that day, or how he likes the way that I decided to wear less makeup. Some of them could make me cry by just looking at them, like the one that says, "You give me a reason." I never knew what he meant by it, but the way he looked at me when he handed it let me know how much it meant to him too.

I pull into the crowded parking lot, and get the best parking spot I could find, even though it's in the third row. It's extremely crowded today, but that just means that it's getting more popular. I'm glad that it's getting more business, but that just means it won't be as quiet as it usually is, so when I come in to type I won't be as focused. I have been noticing a lot more people that have been coming in, but today it's especially crowded. I walk into the building, but I can only walk in about ten feet, then I'm stopped by the excessively long line. I can't see the front counter, because there's a man that's near the front row that's the size of a sky scraper. I wait in line for about ten minutes, until I make it to the front of the line to see an unfamiliar face. It's a man that looks like he's about 3 or four years older than me. He looks a little less inviting than Luke did the first day I saw him working here, but still warming. I make my way to the counter as I tell him my usual order. Once he asks me for my name to write on the cup and I give it to him he starts to chuckle to himself.

"What's so funny?" I question him as he writes down my name on the plastic cup.

"It's nothing," he says as he bites down on his lip to stop laughing, "it's just that my little sisters name is Alex, and she loves when other people has that name. She'd love to hear that I served a beautiful girl named Alex."

My cheeks start to blush as I laugh along with him. I hand him my money, and once he hands me my change back I step away from the counter so the next person can get their order taken. I look up at the counter and see the man who look my order tapping on the counter like the drums as his back is facing towards me. He's not doing it too loud, but loud enough for me to hear it clearly if I really paid attention and blocked the other noises out of my head. Once he turns around he sees me staring over at him with a smirk on me face, about ready to laugh, and instead of him getting embarrassed, like I thought, he just smiles and waves at me as he continues to tap on the counter that is now in front of him. I start laughing again, but this time I look stupid, because I'm all by myself looking at the cashier tapping on the counter.

When my name is finally called up, I push through the newly formed crowd and grab my drink off the counter and my small bag that carries my coffee cake. I try to look around to the kitchen to see if Luke is in there, but his tall hair is nowhere to be found. If he hadn't of worked today I doubt he's awake, so I decide against texting him. I was pretty sure he had to work today, because last week he had told me how he couldn't get the whole day off, but he could get off a few hours early. Maybe he forgot that today was the anniversary, and thought that it was a different day this week? I just have a hard time believing that, since all he's been talking about around me is about how he's going to make this Saturday the best night ever. I get back into my truck, and set down my drink in my cup holder as I rip off a piece if the coffee cake. I had to stand in line forever, and it started to make me even hungrier than I already was.

Instead of going back home right away, I decide to go to the park instead. I usually only go to the park when I'm going for a walk late at night and have nowhere else to go. It's so beautiful outside, it'd be a shame if I didn't take advantage of it and spend every minute of it outside, enjoying it. I just want to inhale all of the fresh air that I possibly can right now. This has been the best year of my life, and I'm so excited for the next. I can't even describe to myself how lucky I feel to have someone in my life as wonderful as Luke. I feel like a helium balloon right now, and that I could practically just float away. With Luke and my mom in my life, it'd be ridiculous if I'd ask for anything else. When I pull into the empty parking lot I pull into the spot that's the closest to the picnic tables. I leave my purse in my truck as I hop out the door. I grab my tea, and my coffee cake, and close the door behind me.

There's a slight breeze in the air, just the right amount. Enough to blow through your hair, but not enough to make you want another layer of clothing on. It's only about eight in the morning right now, so there's really nowhere I have to be, until Luke calls me. He usually wakes up at around 10, but it's always different. I, on the other hand, wake up at exactly 7:00 everyday. But that's only because that's always been what my alarms set to. If it isn't, the time I wake up is just determined by the time that I fall asleep or pass out.

I walk up to one of the picnic tables and lay my back down on the table part. My phone starts to vibrate in my pocket, but I choose to wait to check it until I'm comfortable. I know I won't be getting too comfortable, since I am laying on a wooden table right now, but the air outside feels so intoxicating. After I move my back to the perfect position, I slide my phone out of my front, left pocket and see Luke's name across my screen three times. I unlock my phone and see three random texts from Luke.

"I'll see you then."

"$40"

"Not today."

He must have sent those to the wrong person.. I turn my phone off, and set it down on the table next to me as I take a drink of my tea. I take in deep breathes, so I can remember this moment better. I just want to remember how I feel right now, and I know that in 20, 10, or even 1 year I won't remember this moment right now clearly, but taking in deep breaths and really focusing on my surroundings help me remember exactly how I feel, how the air feels, and how this moment right here, is going to be gone in a matter of seconds.

Once I'm done with my coffee cake and tea, my phone vibrates again. This time I grab my phone off the table without hesitation to see who it is. Luke's name is in the same place again.

"Sorry, wrong person. I love you so much, okay?"

A big dorky smile comes across my face as I read his message. Moments like these are what I want to keep in my brain forever. Soon enough I won't have time to make more memories like this, so it's so crucial to remember the ones that had already happened.

"I love you, too! Are we still hanging out today?"

I respond to Luke and set my phone back down. I lift my back up off of the wooden planks that had been made into a table, and sit right side up. I cross my legs as I ball up the bag from the coffee cake, and throw the bag as if it were a ball into the trash can that I imagine to be a basketball hoop. I miss the trash, so I have to get up and pick it up off of the ground. Once I throw away the bag completely I throw my cup away too. This is the first time in a long time that I've thrown away my cup right away. Even if I end up throwing it away, I like to keep the cup for at least a week until I end up throwing it away, just so I can remember it for a little bit longer. If my mom wouldn't have made me throw some away then I'd probably end up being a cup hoarder.

I sit by my phone back at the picnic table waiting like an idiot for Luke to text back, but after an hour I give that up, and walk back to my truck. My phones almost about to die now that I've spent most of the batterie just leaving it on and staring at it. It's on 12% right now, so I should probably head back home. When I get into my car my phone vibrates again. Think its Luke, I check it immediately. When I see my moms name I slowly let out the breathe that I didn't realize I was holding in. I close my eyes and sit down on the drivers seat in my truck. I open the message and see my moms text.

"Did you just leave for coffee? If you're not there yet will you pick me my usual?"

Without responding, I toss my phone on the seat and pull out of the parking lot. Instead of going back home without my coffee, I decide to go get some for her since I know she just woke up because she's just now texting me. I know she just wants some black coffee and a piece of coffee cake, but she had a long night, and deserves it. It's out of my way, but I honestly don't want to be home right now. I want to be hanging out with Luke somewhere, but it's still early. I turn my car the opposite way from my house and make my way back to the Coffee House. It's not as crowded as it was when I was here an hour ago, but there's still more that usual. I pull into the closest parking spot on walk through the same doors that I did earlier. I walk into the coffee shop to see the same man that took my order earlier. I wave to him as I walk further into the room, and approach the counter.

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(a/n: I'm Katie! I'll be updating on Wednesdays! Hope you guys like chapter!)