Saving Hope

Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Caleb

And so it began, my daily visit to the small café where Hope works. I work all day concentrating on the duties in front of me until around 5pm, when my thoughts begin to drift to a beautiful girl behind the counter of a small café. I am glad she always works the night shift because my schedule is unpredictable at best. Some nights I wander in around 6pm and sit at the counter talking to her when the place gets slow. Other nights I barely make it there in time for a cup of coffee before she has to close up and get on the damn bus.

Tonight is a late night for me at the office, and as much as I have tried rushing all the work I need to get done, I am not leaving here until just before 10pm. If I am lucky, I will make it there just in time to at least wish her a good night and walk her to the bus stop. Sliding into the seat of my car, I quickly fire it up and race out of the parking lot.

I feel so relieved when I make it there just before I see the last lights go out. I knock on the door that is now locked and my heart races in my chest when I see the surprised and relieved look on Hope's face. I think she might need this time together as much as I do. Sundays have been hell for me and with that day quickly approaching for the fourth time since I have met her, missing her tonight would have sent me over the edge.

She unlocks the door and lets me into the empty café. I find my pie on the counter waiting for me and watch as she rushes to the back to grab some ice cream. We have lost the formalities of fancy pie serving as the days have gone by, but I love that she knows the scoop gives me extra time to talk to her. Tonight she looks as beautiful as always, and I swivel the chair beside me in invitation to her and hold up the extra fork.

In the darkness and stillness of the café I feel so connected to her. We share the pie and the events of our days much like I would imagine and old married couple doing, but there is a spark and excitement between us. Tonight I notice a piece of yarn peeking out from under her shirt collar and slowly reach up and hook my finger under it, pulling it from her shirt. To my surprise it is a macaroni necklace, and I smile as I study each little painted piece.

When I look up into her eyes again I see a look of defeat on her face and I feel my smile drop immediately. "It's quite a fashion statement," I say, reaching up to rub her flushed cheek with my hand. Her eyes close tight as my palm brushes her skin. I don't know who gave her this, but I can tell by the look on her face she expects me to go running—not a chance. "You can open your eyes, Hope. I am still here," I whisper and place a kiss on her cheek. I can't help but to wonder how many assholes have let this little bit of information be a deal breaker.

"Nathan made it for me," she answers, eyes still looking down as she plays with the noodles on the yarn. "I promised him I would wear it to work today and I always keep my promises." She looks up for the first time, and I see her struggling to tell me more.

Turning so that I am facing her and swiveling her around in her chair to face me, I pick the necklace up and study it for a minute before looking into her eyes. "I'm not afraid of a little macaroni or the little hands that created it. Now sometimes the mouths that are attached to the little bodies connected to the little hands..." I make a scared face and watch as she breathes a sigh of relief and laughs at my terrible joke. I know there is more to this story, but I don't want her backing away from me so I scoop a huge spoonful of pie and ice cream and shovel into her mouth causing her to laugh and try to contain it.

We sit for a while longer in silence, taking turns eating the pie. Panic begins to build in me that this information may not be a deal breaker for me, but it might be for her. I don't know who Nathan is, and I am too afraid to ask. I can't imagine her with a young kid at her age, but I know that anything is possible. I just want my smiling Hope back—no matter who she has to bring along with her.

"Is that why I can't take you home?" I ask when the pie plate is empty. Hope looks away from me and wipes her bangs from her forehead in a move I find adorable and heartbreaking at once.
"Part of it, yes. It's a long story. There is other stuff, too...look, Caleb," I don't let her finish that sentence because I fear it will end with some form of us not being able to see each other anymore.

"You are not even going to give me a chance to be OK with that part of your life?" I ask her, sliding my fingers under her chin so she is forced to meet my gaze.

"I was just enjoying pretending too much. It's like a fairytale you know: poor girl from the bad part of town and the rich prince meeting in secret. I just wanted a few more days I guess. It isn't fair to you to give you the whole story, so let's just leave it at that." I watch as her eyes begin to fill with tears and my heart aches in my chest. I lean in and kiss her lips chastely.

"Where is this fucking prince?" I ask pretending to look around, "I thought you and I had something, but now I find out you have been seeing a prince with a strange macaroni fetish?" She laughs at this and the tears from her eyes spill over down her cheeks. I do my best to wipe them away before I continue. "I don't care where you come from or the company you keep. I don't want you free from all responsibilities and I don't imagine that you don't have some life of your own outside of being the best pie server ever. I just want to be a small part of whatever life it is you do have."

"Just let me do it this way just a little longer, Caleb," she says, her eyes staring straight into mine. I nod my head and grip her hand. I look up at the clock and see that we have about thirty minutes before the bus comes, and I know better than to offer her a ride tonight.

Hope stands and clears the pie plate. When she returns from the back she has her purse and sweater like always, and we make our way to the front door again. I am so afraid that she is going to shut me out of her life after tonight that I can feel a small tremble in my hands. If I don't ever get another night of pie with Hope, then I am going to make this a good one.

As she looks for her keys in her purse, I put both of my hands on the side of her face and look into her eyes. She stops what she is doing, and I notice the change in her breathing, all that I needed to have the confidence to lean in. I brush my lips across hers before pulling her to me. Hope melts into me and parts her lips, inviting me to deepen the kiss, and I do. Every cell in my body is on alert as her hands reach up to cover mine. The heat of her touch and the warmth of her kiss almost undo me, and I pull away before I no longer can.

I watch as she slowly open her eyes. "Hope, our story isn't finished yet. I will watch you get on that bus tonight, like I have been for weeks, and then I will be back here for pie tomorrow. Short of quitting, you can't stop me. You share with me about Nathan and where that stupid bus route ends when you are ready." She smiles a small smile, and my heart swells with hope. Lifting up on her tiptoes she places a small kiss on my lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Caleb."

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