Magnolia's Cafe

The sunlight had only barely begun to peek over the rooftops, providing a warm glow down the alley and through the windows. The old clock in the small square up the alley chimed pleasantly. It was quiet, but anyone in Reverie Row always heard it when they needed to.

Magnolia flipped the switch for the neon sign above the window, announcing that the cafe was open for business. The pale blue light bounced off the topmost panes of the floor-to-ceiling grid of windows. The cafe was warm from the ovens, so she unlatched one of the sets of windows and pushed the bottom out, slanting it. She inhaled the cool morning air that was now allowed in, filling her lungs.

Outside, a white haired gentleman in slacks, a blue summer jacket, and a bright yellow scarf inhaled the smell of pastries and coffee that was escaping. He smiled at Magnolia who smiled in return. As he stepped through the door, the bell tinkling as it opened, he removed his pale yellow hat.

“Good morning, Magnolia.”

“Good morning, John. How are you today?” She walked around to the other side of the counter, and set out a cup for his usual coffee. He stepped up to the register, looking only slightly down to meet her eyes. In his prime he would have easily been around six feet, but now he was only a few inches taller than Magnolia.

“Just dandy, thank you. My paper was on time this morning, and today is looking like it’ll be a beautiful day. Even the smell of the ocean is on the air today.” He gestured to the outside.

“I thought I caught a whiff of salt water.”

“How are you this morning?” He politely asked.

“I’m great! Everything baked like it should, and the daffodils bloomed this morning.” Magnolia pointed to the pots outside that had yellow flowers.

“Goodness. It looks like they all bloomed at once.”

“Just about. Means something new is coming.”

“What do you think it’ll be?” John leaned in and whispered, as if gossiping quietly so that the daffodils wouldn’t know they were being talked about.

“Not a clue.” Magnolia laughed. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Well I hope it’s good. Maybe you’ll meet someone new.” He nodded as if he’d decided that’s what would happen. “You can never have too many friends.”

“True.” She wasn’t sure if he meant friends, or friends with a deeper meaning, but she decided she didn’t need to know. She just smiled and moved on.

“So, would you like your regular order?”

“Coffee and a little bit of mystery. Gotta be consistent somewhere in my life.” John was one of the most consistent people Magnolia had ever met. He was eccentric, but carried a deep appreciation for routine. Magnolia laughed.

“Perfect. Go ahead and grab your table and I’ll bring it over.”

“Thanks! Just add it to my tab,” John said as he walked over to a table in the corner next to the windows. Magnolia had actually created a tab for John because when he first became a regular he’d forgotten his wallet enough times that it just became easier. Each month she’d send him a bill, which he would pay in full.

She poured a cup of black coffee in the cup she’d set aside, and added just a splash of milk. The rich chocolaty aroma wrapped around her. She then grabbed a small bamboo tray and used tongs to place a square of blackberry-rosemary jam cake on a parchment square. She set the cup of coffee on the other half of the tray, adding a dessert fork to the middle, and brought it to where John was sitting. After she set it down, he leaned over and smelled the cake.

“Blackberry… and rosemary?”

“One of my seasonal favorites.”

“Can’t wait!” He grinned. The bell above the door tinkled. Magnolia turned to see a business woman, who occasionally stopped by, walk in.

“Good morning!” Magnolia greeted her and hurried back to the counter.

“Morning.” The woman responded as she removed her sunglasses. As Magnolia stepped around the pastry case the door-bell was struck again. Two more people stepped in, signifying the start of the morning rush. Magnolia had a feeling it would be a good day, and was looking forward to something new. She felt a rush of excitement, and got to work.