Carrondale had always been known as a small and quiet town, and while it might've been quaint to others, it was rather dull to the younger population. Those who had craved the outside world and something new found themselves leaving the town the minute they could, regardless of their situation. Some would return, worse for wear, but found the town's welcoming nature to give them the courage to try again, and land back on their feet. The older generation found their forever homes around the town, with several generations of the same family having stayed within the familiar plots of land.<br/><br/>The town always held an air of tradition and community within it, with stores that were locally owned lined up with one another, alongside restaurants and cafes that offered a variety of meals. At the center of the town held all of the entertainment, ranging from a movie theater that would typically show older movies alongside some of the newer ones, as well as a playground meant for children, however, some of the teens and younger adults often found themselves enjoying it from time to time, and finally, a lodge had been constructed some time in the early 90's, allowing tourist to stop by and enjoy their night in the town.<br/><br/>Yet, as the times changed, the town simply couldn't adjust fast enough. Walgreens, CVS, Mapco, Starbucks, and any type of fast food chain would find themselves taking over the property that once held the local mom-and-pop shops. Simply put, the local shops couldn't compete with the prices that the corporations offered, and with the lack of customers, were forced to close their doors. And while the corporations had taken things away from the town, it also added much needed improvements, such as a new theater that could show recent movies, apartments cropping up near the edge of the town, as well as providing the town with some much needed foot traffic from tourist. Luckily, some shops were still open, either through the sheer power of their usual customers preferring the local shops, and the attractions that made Carrondale<i>feel </i>like Carrondale, such as the old lodge and playground, were still available to all.<br/><br/>Alex Winters had been one of the few who had returned to the town after leaving it, finding a new lease on life the moment he drove into the town's territory. It was simply ironic, as the man thought when he had left, he would find his true calling, a true place he could call home, and yet here he was, finding his "home" at the same town he had despised so much. Living in a town known as Brighton Le Rivers, Alex dreaded it with all of his being. Not because of the locale, or the people around it, but because of the distance from Carrondale. With his mother and father running the cafe known as "Espresso Lane Cafe", they would be in town Sunday - Saturday, from five in the morning to as late as eleven at night. And throughout the long hours that his parents worked, Alex would find himself wandering the same sidewalk that he knew like the back of his hand. Throughout the week, his life consisted of school, then being picked up by one of his parents before working on his homework at one of the smaller tables, or he would find himself in the company of a book the local librarian would loan to him.<br/><br/>However, there was always<i>one </i>upside to his week. Her name was Kelsie Jarrett, and she was one of, if not<i>the </i>closest friend that Alex had. The two were inseparable at school, often seeking out one another during lunch or at recess if they didn't share a class together. Eventually, their parents would meet, and his weeks of staying at the cafe after school would be replaced by spending time with Kelsie at her home. Hell, if Alex hadn't known any better, he would sometimes refer to them as his second family, as he would be seeing them more than his own. And the older they grew, the closer they became, even to the point where Alex had begun developing a small crush on the girl. It was inevitable, a guy and a girl becoming more than friends, or at least, one developing feelings for the other. But the more he had thought on it during his high school years, the more it simply didn't add up. A girl like her, falling for a guy like him? It was unheard of. And so his feelings would bury themselves deep within him, nearly forgotten, and perhaps for the better, as the news of her leaving their town would force the two away.<br/><br/>And throughout the years, the woman never left his thoughts. Their constant texting and calling soon turned into simple "likes" on their status or pictures on social media. With Alex focusing on his psychology degree, he had little time to respond to her text, and he was sure the same would've gone for her. After graduating, Alex was soon met with the harsh reality of the world, and with no where to turn, he had eventually returned home, taking over the cafe that his parents simply couldn't keep working at due to their age. And as much as Alex hated to admit it, he was<i>good </i>at his job. Observing Kelsie's mother baking, and even baking simply recipes with her and her mother in their kitchen, it awakened something within him that enjoyed cooking for others. Managing to obtain a house in the old neighborhood he had lived in, Alex found himself slowly settling into the town, with little to no complaints. But the urge was always there. Often he would stare at the phone number of Kelsie's, debating on if he should text her again. And with the power of social media, he had always checked in on her, seeing where her life had taken her, even if a small pang of jealousy would always hit his chest when he saw her with another guy.<br/><br/>The day started off like any other, Alex arriving at the cafe at six in the morning, two hours before they opened. Dressed in a simple black, long sleeved shirt that hugged his figure a bit<i>too </i>well, a pair of jeans and some black sneakers, Alex would begin the process of preparing the pastries and other sweets that would be put into the glass cases that were next to the register. Powering on the iPad that would act as their primary register and syncing it up to the automatic drawer that held the cash, Alex would walk past the tables, lighting candles to add some mood lighting. He found the use of candles over the powerful LED lights to be more relaxing, and most people who came in would often agree. Although, LED lights had been installed, in case they were needed, of course. And the moment eight o'clock hit his watch, Fiona, his one and only employee, would walk through the door, turning the "Closed" sign to "Open", indicating their day had begun.<br/><br/>The cafe was never truly busy, and while they had their moments of a "rush", it would never match the amount of people heading over to the Starbucks in the area. But Alex didn't mind it. He was able to pay his bills, and keep the cafe running, as well as pay Fiona well, for a high school senior at least. With Fiona being at the front taking orders, Alex was in the back, creating the orders. For every few cups of coffee he would mix into a cup, he would pull out a tray of muffins or other pastries. On the wall behind the register was a small window where Alex's face could be seen as he whirled around the kitchen, the window primarily being used to hand pick up orders to Fiona, and doubling as a means to talk to customers, if he felt up for it. Finishing up a specific order of a chai tai and a toffee macadamia muffin. For some reason, he felt...nostalgic over the combination. Their chai tais were rare to be ordered, and the only muffins that seemed to sell were their banana muffins. Then, the name on the receipt had caught his eyes. Kelsie J. Could it be....?<br/><br/>Suddenly, his heart began to race slightly in excitement. Could it be that Kelsie was here? The one track mind that Alex had been famous for suddenly began to splinter off, thinking of why she was here, or even<i>if </i>she was. Perhaps it was one of the elderly couples that had ordered this? Or maybe another person by the name of "Kelsie J." was here? Regardless, he<i>had </i>to know.<br/><br/>"Hey Fiona?" Alex called out, as Fiona turned from a now empty line to look through the window at her boss. "Do you mind taking these orders out while I take this one out?" Handing her two bags that had a muffin in them each, and two drinks, Fiona expertly took the items and gave a nod. "Can do!" she replied, before moving from the register and towards one of the tables that had the owner of some of the items she carried. Meanwhile, Alex took his phone and used it as a makeshift mirror. His hair was a mess, yet it laid perfectly on his head, and he hadn't shaved in a few days, resulting in some scruff. Had she ever seen him with facial hair before? Maybe he should let Fiona take the order out. Did he look okay? Shaking his head at the thoughts that clouded his mind, Alex would slide his phone into his pocket, taking another deep breath. "Deep breath. Be calm." Alex stated to himself quietly, before taking the muffin, which had been placed into a paper bag, and the medium chai tai.<br/><br/>Walking out from the kitchen, Alex let his eyes wander the room, searching for the owner of the items he was carrying. And then, his sapphire eyes rested on a woman who had that familiar head of blonde hair that hid beneath a beanie. And that face. Regardless of how long it had been, Alex<i>knew </i>it had been Kelsie from the moment he laid eyes on her. A smile would force its way onto his lips as he approached her, and the table she had been sitting at. Standing next to the table, Alex would place the cup down in front of her, and the bag that held her muffin in front of her. "You know, friends and family<i>do </i>get a discount." he spoke, his voice being deep and radiating a sense of warmth and comfort from it. And the moment that their eyes met, Alex's smile seemed to widen slightly.