TUMUNOG ang bell sa itaas ng pinto ng coffee shop nang pumasok si Ashriel. The familiar scent of roasted beans and vanilla greeted him, warm and grounding — the kind of smell that usually made him forget about the noise of the outside world.
Agad na tumuon ang mata ni Ashriel sa counter. Inaasahan niyang makikita niya doon si Nylah pero wala ito doon. Hindi niya nakita ang dalaga.
Instead, he saw Evron sitting near the corner table, coloring in a coloring book, his legs swinging off the chair.
Si Rita ang nasa counter at ngumiti ito nang makita siyang lumapit.
“Good afternoon, sir,” Rita greeted cheerfully. “Coffee? The usual?” she asked. Nasabi na sa kaniya kung ano ang laging ino-order ni Ashriel Rios and she made a mental note of it.
Tumango naman si Ashriel. “Yeah. The usual,” h
