Sera arrived at the coffee shop long after the sun had dipped below the horizon, her body moving on sheer momentum alone. She had walked the entire way. Maybe she needed the punishment of every blister forming, every ache blooming in her legs, to match the chaos clawing at her chest.
Her feet throbbed. Her hair clung to her face in wild strands. Her cheeks were blotchy, eyes swollen, lashes stiff with dried tears.
The bell above the café door chimed softly as she stepped inside. The place was nearly empty.
Lina saw her immediately.
"Sera?"
She came around the counter at a near run, apron askew, hands already reaching. She didn't ask what happened. Didn't ask why Sera looked like she'd walked through fire. She just wrapped her arms around her friend and pulled her close.
And that was all it took.
Sera crumpled.
Her forehead pressed into Lina's shoulder as sobs tore out of her chest. She clutched the back of Lina's shirt.
