Tomorn - "More at tomorrow."

Her tired green eyes flitted over the weekly ledger. Each jolt of the train causing Sara to lose her focus on the screen. It had been yet another week of early starts and long, busy days. Although constantly worried about her coffee shop’s never ending financial woes, Sara felt a real sense of pride and accomplishment. It had been eight months since she had bought the business from her ailing friend, Trinity. Poor Trinity had been even more succumbed to M.S. when Sara had last visited her. Yet whenever the conversation turned to the store, Trinity’s inner spark lit up, giving Sara the drive to keep it all together.

As the train pulled into the next station, Sara watched the hurried comings and goings. Amused by the jostling of the commuters, Sara did not notice the passenger who had shifted forward and was now seated directly across from her. As the train pulled out from the station, Sara’s eyes lifted, landing on her new temporary travel companion. His blue eyes meeting her glance, accompanied by a perfectly handsome smile. Sara bashfully looked away, a little embarrassed that she had ogled like a schoolgirl at the man. He was, however, quite incredible, she told herself. Too handsome not to try to catch his eye again.

“It is not my job to run the train, the whistle I can’t blow. It is not for me to say how far the train’s allowed to go. I’m not allowed to blow off steam nor even ring the bell, but let the damn thing jump the track and see who catches hell.”

James hastily stopped himself there. Pulling his still slightly open mouth into his trademark grin. He was feeling a little mortified at the flustering attempt that he had made to try to impress her. The beautiful, entrancing woman whom he had caught a glimpse of amongst the madness of the crowded city station.

There was something about her that he felt instantly drawn too. Something that was more than just her incredible beauty. He had jostled for a seat close to her. He had even been prepared to pay the young hipster, seated across from her, to change places with him. However, thankfully for him, he had stopped himself from that embarrassment. He had waited, instead, until the next station and amid the madness of the jostling commuters, he managed to take the seat directly across from her.

Normally cool, calm and collected by nature, the mere presence of this woman had James brimming with nerves. He felt that he might be willing to take a chance at anything to have her attention. Hence the little poem that his Grandfather had taught him as a child. James felt the blood rushing to his cheeks as he pondered what he should say next. What must she be thinking about him? This was definitely not a “pick-up line” story that he would dare to share with his mates. But as he gathered the courage to look into those magnificent green eyes again, he realised that she was laughing, and that made him feel wonderful!

James managed to stop himself from “air-punching” in delight, instead stretching out his hand. “Hi, I’m James. Is it ok if I distract you from your work?”, he asked, glancing at her notebook. “Hopefully with another train-wreck of a ditty”, she replied. Giggling and placing her hand in his, she said, “I’m Sara”. Over the clacking of the train, they continued their light-hearted, banter. Sara found herself becoming more and more lost in his blue eyes. Handsome, charming, funny and clever. Perfect words to describe him to Trinity when they next spoke, she thought to herself. Sara delighted in the way that his eyes danced whenever he smiled at her.

Neither noticed when the train stopped at the next station. James had forgotten that he was meeting his friends at the third stop. Enthralled by every second that he shared with Sara, he didn’t hear his name being called. Nor did he notice Ella and Lathe, until Ella virtually launched into his lap. Ella had been unabashedly pursuing James for months now, despite James clearly telling her that he was not interested. He thought it wrong that Ella was stringing Lathe along so to try to get close to him. Lathe was too puppy-dog smitten to put an end it to it though, thus placing James in an uncomfortable situation whenever Ella was around. An uncomfortable situation that had horribly played out in front of Sara, he angrily thought to himself. He hurriedly shifted into the small space beside the window, away from Ella. In his haste to move away from Ella and regain his connection with Sara, James did not notice his precious Moleskine, black notebook falling from his jacket pocket.

Sara smiled sweetly to James as he and his companions left the train. She felt a little sad that not only had their little journey together ended but that they did not have the chance to exchange numbers. Sara looked at the empty seat in-front of her and hoped that, somehow, they would find each other again. If only that woman had not leapt all over James, they might have shared a little more time together, she thought. It was obvious to Sara that James had been uncomfortable with the woman. He had, after-all, shifted to the side so very quickly when it happened. Sara glanced at the seat near the window that James had escaped too. She took comfort in remembering his blue, dancing eyes and amazing smile. Then something in the corner of the seat caught her eye - a small, black notebook. Sara scooped it up and opened the cover. Printed on the first page was, “Tomorn – More at tomorrow.” James Mathers. As she was about to turn to the second page, the train jolted to a stop and Sara realised that it was her station. She popped the notebook into her satchel and disembarked the train.

As she climbed into her bed that night Sara glowed inside as she thought about James. Their meeting had felt so wonderful, happy and dream-like to her. She could not stop thinking about their wonderful connection. She found herself laughing aloud with joy as she replayed their exchanges in her mind. Surely today was not the only time that they would share. Sara was longing for James, but she did not know where to begin to search for him. Then she remembered. The notebook.

As she opened the cover and re-read the first page, Sara was filled with hope and happiness. The pages of the notebook must surely hold some information that would help her to find James. She turned to the second, and then the third, fourth and fifth page however all that she saw startled her. Inside the pages were descriptions, in vast detail, of three women. Under each of the women’s names were details of phone numbers, age’s, style and locations. Further to this were hand drawn sketches of each of the women. All strikingly beautiful. All drawn with professional care and careful detail.

Sara’s eyes welled with tears as she closed the notebook. What she had hoped to be an appointment diary or a phone book or even a journal of James’, had turned out to be nothing at all like she had imagined. The sad thought entered her head that James, himself, was nothing like she had imagined. Sara put the notebook back into her satchel and sadly closed her eyes, trying to find comfort in the familiarity of sleep to stop her broken thoughts.

Sara busied herself with the coffee shop. She worked tirelessly and even harder than before. Sara was able to expand the shop’s menu, daily order capacity and her staff numbers. Hours turned into days and days turned into months. Sara tried to push all thoughts of James out of her mind however despite her efforts, she would still catch herself glancing around the train carriage. She found herself searching the faces of any stranger who looked even remotely like James. Always to be snapped back to a sad reality when the face that she had so earnestly searched was not his.

With half an hour to go before close, after another exceptionally busy day at her coffee shop, Sara let her staff knock off early. Her hardworking staff had earnt her thanks and an early mark. Sara was packing away the last of the tables and chairs when she heard the front doorbell chime. As she stepped to face the late patron, a familiar voice reached her ears. “Don’t turn around. Please don’t turn around just yet.” It was James. “I know that this might seem strange. Heck it seems a lot of what I try to do is strange when I am near you, but my feelings are true. Sara, my love, I have been searching for you for so long, so now I can’t believe my luck. Finally, I’m here with you.”

Sara felt James’ strong arms take her up and turn her towards him in a flush of warmth. She gazed into his blue eyes and saw him light up like sunshine from his smile. He lent in to kiss her, but she pulled away. The sunlight inside of him seemed to dim a little. Unable to find the words that she had practised over and again, should this moment ever happen, Sara wriggled out of James’ arms. She reached for her satchel, then handed him the notebook. The sunshine within James lit him up again. He smiled a huge smile and seemed to brim with genuine excitement. Apprehensively, Sara, held his gaze as her mind raced. Surely, he was not so completely heartless that he could not contain his joy from being reunited with the notebook. Had he lost touch with the women she had seen in the first pages? Was he planning on making her just another entry in it? Sara desperately hoped her thoughts were wrong.

James saw the apprehension in Sara’s eyes as she glanced from his notebook to him and then back again. Noticing tears begin to well in her eye’s, he reached for her and pulled her close to him. Looking deeply into Sara’s eyes, James spoke from his heart, saying, “Sara, my love, this notebook contains my initial ideas, characters and storyline for a short film that I have written and produced. Thank you for keeping it safe for me all this time. The film isn’t actually too shabby. Well, it is actually quite good, so some think. That is why it has been nominated for an award at the Cannes Film Festival Awards. And now I have found you again and you have my notebook, it all feels like this is a dream come true for us. I want you to be beside me in Cannes. I want you to be beside me forever. Sara, my love, you make me smile like sunshine and from the very first minute that I saw you, I fell for you.”

From here the rest is a tale of the best of tomorn. The connection and love between James and Sara grew every moment they shared. With money being no object for the highly- successful James, he offered to help Sara with the coffee shop in anyway needed. Sara graciously and politely declined this offer however, as the success of the coffee shop was at far greater heights than ever before. Searching herself, Sara realised that there was a way that James could help though. So, after speaking with the experts, meticulously planning every detail and with James happily approving and covering the $20,000 expenses, Sara’s dear friend Trinity was able to travel to Cannes with the beautiful couple. Trinity proudly watched James accept his prize for the “Winner of the Short Film Award Cannes Film Festival, 2022”, his beautiful Sara by his side.