Coffee and Cigarettes and Everything in Between

Karina

"Hey." I simply called out to get her attention. She's currently standing in the middle of my office, her eyes scanning the four corner room that encloses me every day. 

She slowly turns around and finally faces me. Her lips turning up into a small smile as she wave her hand at me and greeted a small "hi" in return.

Her golden hair have turned into black which highlights her fair skin even more. She put on a little weight too because her cheeks have some more puff this time or is it just me imagining things because it has been a long time since I last saw her.

"How have you been?" She asked me as she walked closer to my office table.

"Please take a sit." I automatically uttered as I motioned for her to take the chair in front of me. "I've been doing well these days." I continued after I remembered my manners.

"You sure about that?" She says with a hint of laughter in her voice as her gaze fell on the sling cast on my arm.

I guess spending three years in Chicago changed her. There wasn't any uncertainty in her footsteps as she entered my office earlier. She obviously came in with a purpose. A purpose which I still don't know.

Her voice was firm like she was sure of the words that she was about to utter. She's so far from the Winter that I last saw three years ago. So far from the stuttering Winter that I first met.

No, I would love to have another date with you, I mean uhm, I mean I would like to take you on more dates if you'd like. She was so adorable as she stumbled to convey her thoughts. Plus her flustered cheeks every time she was embarrassed or extremely happy made her extra cute.

Her eyes look happier too. They seem to glisten every time she smiles. They were so different from the eyes that looked at me pleadingly inside her car three years ago. Today, there wasn't any hint of sadness or tears beneath them.

Then make me stay. I can still see her tear stricken face that night. The way that she begged me to stop her from leaving, her voice breaking time and time again. I almost gave in that night. It took all of my self control to walk away from her, to not turn back because if I did I knew I would have run back to her and wrap her tightly in arms until she missed her flight.

She's glowing. I can just feel it from the way that she walks, the way she carries herself. She's grown. There was an air of confidence that surrounds her whenever she moves.

"It's just a little scratch. I'm used to it." I answered absentmindedly and for a second the little v that forms on her forehead appeared but it was gone before I could even about it.

Do you know that you have this little v that forms on your forehead whenever you're deep in thought? It was specifically located on the space between her brows. It was that one thing that always told me that something was bothering her back then. 

"But let's turn to you. How was Chicago? How are you?" I asked her in return to take the conversation away from me before her memories completely drown out my thoughts.

Her face voluntarily lits up at the mention of Chicago. She must have had a really great time, I'm glad I didn't turn around that night or else I might not be able to see her smile this bright.

"Chicago was everything and more." Was her simple answer.

"Well I'm very happy to know that."

"Thank you, Karina." 

"For what?"

"For letting me have my dream."

"I did nothing, Winter. It's all you. Whatever you have now is all because of you, your hard work and efforts."

"I wouldn't have made it without you." She said as she handed me a folded paper. "I'm inviting you and Ningning to come to my exhibit next month. W