Bean Town Coffee buzzed with the typical afternoon crowd, but all I could focus on was the young barista behind the counter. Her aura pulsed green, but slower than Phillip’s had. What did that mean? Was she going to die? She looked barely out of her teens, her whole life ahead of her.

“Kal?” Carter’s voice broke through my thoughts. “You okay? You seem a million miles away.”

I blinked, forcing myself to look at him instead of the barista. “Sorry, just… admiring the barista make latte art,” I lied, gesturing to our untouched drinks.

Carter chuckled. “Right, because staring at coffee is totally normal.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know I’m a connoisseur of foam designs,” I retorted, surprising myself by adding, “I once saw a barista make the entire cast of the Addams Family out of foam. It was impressive until Uncle Fester melted and ruined everything. Typical Fester.”

Carter burst out laughing, his golden aura brightening. “Okay, that’s it. You’re officially the most interesting person I’ve met in ages.” He squinted at me playfully. “You know, you kind of remind me of Wednesday. A bit dark, but beneath that flat expression, there’s a lot going on in that head.” He leaned forward and dropped his voice. “Can I tell you a secret? Ever since they made the new Netflix series, I’ve had a secret obsession with Wednesday.”

He was flirting, intentionally or not. I wasn’t sure. I leaned back, taking Carter in. He was handsome, that was for sure, if you liked the sun-kissed look. But it was the lightness in his eyes, a reflection of his soul so different from mine, that drew me in.

“Honestly, I feel like Wednesday a little, if she was placed in the house of Leave it to Beaver.” I set my coffee down and really focused on our little… date? “I never thought the Addams Family was strange. In fact, I envied how in love Morticia and Gomez were.”

“I think they were a little too obsessed,” Carter said with a soft laugh.

While we talked, I felt a warmth in my chest that had nothing to do with the coffee. For a moment, I had forgotten about the green soul barista and my own weird... condition. It felt nice, normal even.

"So," Carter said, leaning forward, "tell me more about this hidden talent of yours. Any other coffee-related superpowers I should know about?"

I opened my mouth to respond with another quip, but my eyes drifted back to the barista. Her aura flickered, and I felt that familiar pull. The craving. I gripped my mug tightly, trying to focus... and maybe steady my shaking hands.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Seriously, Kal, what's going on?" Carter asked, his tone gentle but concerned. "You keep looking over there like you're expecting something to happen."

I sighed, searching for an explanation that wouldn't make me sound completely insane. "Sorry, it's just... that barista reminds me of someone I used to know. Someone who... isn't around anymore."

It wasn't entirely a lie, but it felt hollow. Carter's face softened with understanding. "I'm sorry. Loss is never easy to deal with."

"Yeah," I mumbled, taking a sip of my now-lukewarm coffee.

"You know," Carter said after a moment, "I've always found that the best way to honor someone's memory is to live life to the fullest. That's what I did after my mom passed. I decided to embrace my love of travel. Your friend... I'm sure they'd want you to be happy."

I nearly choked on my coffee. If he only knew the truth about Phillip. But Carter's words struck a chord. Wasn't that what I was trying to do? Live, despite this strange new reality I found myself in?

"You're right," I said, managing a small smile. "Thanks, Carter. You're pretty wise for a guy who punches things for fun."

He grinned, his aura glowing even brighter. "What can I say? I'm layered."

For a moment, we just smiled at each other, and I felt something shift. A possibility, maybe. But then reality came crashing back. I couldn't do this. Not with everything going on. It was too soon. Not just with Phillip, but with me going from embracing death one day, to living on cloud 9 the next.

"Listen, Carter," I started, my voice serious. "I really appreciate this, but I... I'm not in a place for dating or a relationship right now. Even though emotionally, I've been separated from Phillip for a long time, that just ended. But most importantly, there's just too much going on in my life and—"

"Whoa, slow down," Carter interrupted, holding up his hands. "I'm not looking for anything serious either. I travel too much to have someone waiting at home. I'm just looking for a friend. Someone to go to the gym or grab coffee with when I'm in town, maybe spar with occasionally. No pressure, no expectations."

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "Oh. Okay. Yeah, I can do that. Friends. You seem nice enough," I teased.

Carter smiled, and I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders. But my eyes drifted back to the barista. I needed to know more about her, about what her aura meant. And suddenly, I had an idea.

"Hey," I said, turning back to Carter. "Want to do this again tomorrow?" I smiled slowly. "But maybe you can be on time for kickboxing, then we can grab coffee after?"

Carter's face lit up. "I'd like that."

I nodded, already planning how I could learn more about the barista. "It's a date. I mean, not a date-date. A friend date. A frate?"

Carter laughed. "A frate it is. See you tomorrow, Kal."

And then he stood, leaned in, and gave me a little peck on my cheek that I swear made my heart race... or it was this damn sickness I was feeling.

As Carter left, I couldn't help but smile. For the first time in days, I felt almost normal. But as my eyes drifted back to the barista and her flickering green aura, I knew normal was still a long way off.