Serenity's Dreams

"You were missed." I said it smiling, but not too much so he knew I was serious. He looked at me for a second longer than nessisary and nodded slowly as he started to work on my regular order. Like he was confirming it to himself. And acknowledging that we understood each other. That sort of connection happened here is Serenity a lot. People felt for each other in these walls, that was the whole point.

Love, compassion and reaching out without fear. Those were the prizes in life. The only things worth having.

I added Christina's order, remembering that my front desk manager required all onions off the sandwich. Since her last child, she has hated onions without remorse.

"I'll bing this out to you if you want to go sit at your usual table." Jason said. I couldn't help laughing.

"You are just too good at this job, my friend!"

"Thanks, Miss B." With that I swiped my employee card and waved as I walked away to the right, heading to the glass doors oposite the front archway. Heading towards my favorite view in the world.

The back patio. The deck looking out over the meadow and gardens, jazibos and streams which wound between rocks, hills and under little bridges... Journey's Estate was it's true name. Every day I would make sure to eat out here and get the fresh air, sit in the shade and watch the goings-ons of the grounds. A Yoga class on the grass. A guided meditation group walking the labarynth. Friends enjoying coffee together while their small children were, no doubt, in the day care center.

I walked to my favorite table and sat facing the scene. It wasn't long before Christina was hurrying out the doors towards me, her bright blue eyes sparkling at our early escape from work.

"That was not ten minutes." I commented as she sat down, readjusting her blouse and tossing her thin straight hair out of her face.

"Early or never, that's what you seem to think." She said, pointing a finger at me and doing one of her evil glares. She would always use my words against me, no mater how small the issue. Or how big. "I will not be held to a double standard by the likes of you! Where's my food?"

"Jason's bringing it."

"Oh, good! So, how's the Winston account?"

I kept my eyes on the yoga class as they did a sequence of balancing poses. "You are eager, arent you?"

"Well... It would be the first wedding set here! I know you want to do weddings here and this one seems so perfect, it would draw eyes, it would make the papers. And not just mentions, Beca, articles! Articles!"

"I heard you."

"Aren't you excited?"

"I haven't got the account yet, Christina, there's nothing to be excited about until I do."

"Well that's why I want to know how good the proposal is! See, that way I can measure how excited I can be!"

I looked at her with amusment and mock clarity. "Ahhh, so you are containing your excitment until you know how much to let out, or are you letting it all out unil you know how much to contain?"

She opened her mouth as a cloudy expression moved across her face and she threw another evil glare. "I am manifesting the future I want. There is no reproach for that."

"Except that you don't get to determine other peoples futures. Only your own. You could will me to marry and have four kids like you did all day long. It dosen't change the fact that I choose not to, nor can it."

"Are you never wrong, Beca?" She asked, skeptically. I heard the back door open and smelled our food aprotching. Hungry as she was, Jason's aproach didn't draw her gaze from me, nor her attention from my reply.