After a grueling semester packed with classes, Georgina had finally completed her last one. With a sigh of relief, she rose from her seat and started gathering her belongings. She had arranged to meet Leilah at her father’s coffee shop, Naturae, and was eager to head there immediately. Amidst the cacophony of metal chairs clattering, her classmates buzzed with excitement and laughter. It was evident that they were experiencing a range of emotions. Some were relieved, knowing this was their last class, while others carried the burden of one or more classes still to attend before their much-awaited summer vacation.

While putting her textbook into her tote bag, she heard her phone chime with a notification. Quickly glancing down at the screen, she read the message that had just come through. It said, “I just arrived, where are you?” She wasn’t surprised that her cousin had gotten there first. Leilah had a tendency to always be early whenever they made plans. On the other hand, Georgina was usually on time or occasionally a little late, which sometimes irritated her cousin.

Georgina cracked a smile. She envisioned her cousin constantly checking her phone, growing restless even with a slight delay. So, she would make sure she got there on time.

Leilah was extremely excited about the party. And even though Georgina didn’t show it, she was excited too. Although she didn’t possess the same outgoing personality as her cousin, there were occasions when she enjoyed being at parties and get-togethers.

A loud cheer from the front of the classroom pulled Georgina out of her thoughts. A group of guys had gathered around someone in a circle and were cheering excitedly.

Once one of the guys moved, her eyes immediately locked onto David Van-Buren, the one who was the center of their attention.

When her eyes met David’s, she felt a wave of sadness and longing wash over her. She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. The mere sight of him triggered a wave of memories and thoughts about their past relationship. The look in David’s eyes mirrored her own, confirming a shared sentiment they both knew. He gave her a subtle nod and a tender smile, which caused his friends to look her way. She recognized a few of them and she could tell that they recognized her as well.

She watched him as he excused himself and made his way towards her.

As he drew closer, she had a sudden moment of clarity and regained her senses. The idea of speaking to him at that moment was too much for Georgina, and she wanted to leave before he reached her. Without wasting a moment, she quickly seized her belongings and swiftly moved past him, refraining from any verbal interaction.

Despite the distant sound of him calling her name, she remained determined and left the classroom without giving it a second thought. She knew that the conversation would happen at some point, but for now, it wasn’t the right time.

**************************

Upon arriving at the coffee shop, she was greeted by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of the baristas taking orders. Her eyes scanned the area as she searched for her cousin.

She inhaled deeply and took in the pleasant aroma. It helped her relax a bit as she was attempting to rid herself of the anxiety that lingered from her near interaction with David. She observed her surroundings. Even though Lake Abeze was her favorite place, this shop was a close second.

The cafe had a cozy atmosphere with its dark wooden walls, which were enhanced by the soft glow of tea light candles suspended from tree-like fixtures at each table. The walls were adorned with an abundance of vibrant, verdant plants that added a touch of natural beauty to the space.

At the present moment, there was a band performing soft instrumental music on the stage.

While scanning the area, she eventually spotted her cousin seated at a table in the loft area on the second floor.

Georgina started climbing the stairs. After a few steps, the sound of her footsteps caught Leilah’s attention. Her cousin greeted her with a wide smile and a wave. As she reached the top of the stairs, she couldn’t resist running her fingers through her cousin’s wavy, dark brown hair.

“Did you wait long?” she asked, as she settled in the seat directly across from her cousin.

Leilah shook her head. “No, I got here when I sent you the text. So I haven't been waiting long.”

Georgina unzipped her bookbag, reached inside, and pulled out her laptop and notebook. The laptop belonging to Leilah was already lying on the table unopened. Leilah’s phone notification beeped, and she picked it up and proceeded to send a text message.

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Georgina rose to her feet. “I’ll go grab us some drinks and snacks.” She said as she made her way downstairs to the blonde barista, who had no customers.

When she got to the counter, Georgina immediately recognized Emily, a girl who had been working for her father for around six months.

“Hi Georgina,” Emily exclaimed with enthusiasm.

Emily also attended the University of Peri Grove, but the two did not have any classes together. Georgina wasn’t even sure what her major was.

“Although I’m a few days late saying this,” Emily began. She looked nervous, but Georgina waited for her to finish what she wanted to say. “I Just wanted to say happy belated birthday. Your birthday was on the fifth, right?”

Georgina shook her head. “Thanks, but my birthday was on the seventh. Leilah’s was on the fifth.”

Emily appeared mortified. “I’m sorry,” she said, with an apologetic tone. “Can you please let Leilah know I want to wish her a happy belated birthday too?”

“Thanks, and I will let Leilah know.” Georgina said. She really wanted to change the subject. She looked up at the menu board. All she wanted to do was order their snacks and get back to her cousin. If she had known it was Emily earlier, she would’ve waited until one of the other baristas were free. She didn't really have a problem with Emily, but she found it overwhelming how Emily always seemed to be forcing a friendship with her and Leilah. Leilah usually bonded effortlessly with everyone she met, but even she couldn't deny the awkwardness of having Emily around.

The blonde had asked to hang out with her and Leilah in the past, but it never worked out. Georgina didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so she always tried to steer clear of personal chats with her, and, if she was lucky, she usually managed to dodge the subject entirely.

Georgina’s eyes scanned the menu. Instead of picking something different, she decided to order their usual.

“Can I get a blueberry muffin with an iced green tea and a banana muffin with an iced mocha coffee, please?”

Emily swiftly took the order, then proceeded to prepare the drinks and retrieve the muffins.

Within a few minutes Georgina had their order and was back at their table, only to find Leilah still engrossed in her phone and had not yet opened her laptop.

Georgina placed her cousin’s drink and muffin in front of her before returning to her seat. She laid her things down on the table and opened her laptop.

“Say hi to Isabella for me,” she said sarcastically.

Leilah chuckled and glanced up from her phone. “I’m sorry Gia. She had something interesting to tell me. I promise I won’t let her eat up all of our time,” she teased.

Georgina rolled her eyes. “You make me sound like a jealous lover.” She said, grabbing a piece of her muffin and popping it into her mouth.

“I know you might have some concerns about her, but if you give her another chance, you will be surprised. She has good intentions,” Leilah said as she put down her phone.

Georgina frowned, not believing her cousin’s words. She started nervously picking at her muffin before popping another piece into her mouth. “Someone with good intentions wouldn't have done what she did.”

Leilah nervously bit her lip. “These things can be unpredictable; I doubt what she did was intentional.”

A tiny spark of annoyance started to grow within Georgina. Regardless of intention, it was insensitive.

Leilah reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Georgina’s. “Gia, I wouldn’t have brought you to her if she didn’t know what she was doing. But when it comes to dealing with spirits, things don't always go as planned.”

Georgina snatched her hand away, “she said that the spirit was my mom.”

Leilah rose from her seat and made her way to her cousin across the table. She hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry. Isabella has apologized over and over again as well.”

“Yeah, I know, but ever since then, I just get this weird feeling whenever I'm around her.”

“I understand,” Leilah said as she let Georgina go.

“I'm glad I've seen you do some cool things, otherwise I'd hate that stuff.”

Leilah chuckled. “I really think you should come with me again. I know it was hard that one time, but it's not that bad.”

Georgina shook her head. “I'll pass, thanks. It was way too much for me to handle.”

“Gia, there is really no reason for you to be afraid. Life is filled with countless enigmas, and this happens to be one of the many things that many people struggle to fully comprehend.”

Georgina raised an eyebrow, giving her a look of skepticism. “Thanks Lei, but I think I’ll pass. I prefer dealing with things I can see and touch.”

Leilah frowned and pursed her lips. “One day, I’ll convince you.”

With a faint smile on her face, Georgina took a sip of her green tea, finding the comment amusing. “I don’t think so.”

Leilah sighed heavily and opened her laptop.

Relief washed over Georgina as her cousin appeared to drop the subject. Leilah had made an effort to persuade her multiple times, but Georgina always turned her down.

She believed in the unseen things, that is why she had allowed Leilah to take her to one of her gatherings before. But she definitely didn't want to go back. That event deeply disturbed her and set her back emotionally. She had to start the healing process over again because of it.

If that had truly been her mother attempting to reach out to her, then how was she to move forward with that information? She preferred her father's view of the afterlife. It was safe and comforting. Nothing like what she had experienced with Isabella.

Georgina wanted to get those thoughts out of her head. She opened her email and noticed a message from the Bethel Park Association. When she clicked on the message, she was ecstatic to see they had scored a spot on the lake.

“Guess what Lei? They approved our reservation for the party.”

Leilah’s face lit up with a smile as she continued to type on her laptop. “I’m so relieved! We can relax a bit since we have one less thing to worry about. Now I can finally send out the RSVP email.”

Georgina nodded in agreement as she skimmed the email to make sure she didn’t miss anything important or time sensitive. The email was long and contained a lot of boring details about the rules and protocol, which resulted in her losing interest in what she was reading.

“Hey, do you want to go and check out the area? We can finish our plans there.”

Leilah closed her laptop quickly, “sure, I can use the fresh air. And it’s pretty warm out.”

They packed up their things and headed out.