“I will recognise you first.”

“Really?” she asks, her voice hesitant and her eyes searching mine.

“Always,” I say. The certainty in my voice put her heart at ease, and she relaxes visibly. She looks at me and gives me a big toothy grin. I return her smile, but I know she doesn’t get the meaning behind my words, and we are definitely thinking about different things. I place my neatly folded uniform on the table and say my final farewell.

The store manager gives me a pat. “We welcome you as a customer any time.”

I laugh good-naturedly. “Do I get free drinks?”

“Water?” the manager jokes. “Let’s see if you will come back.” I smile because what she said is the truth. I have no intention of visiting.

I leave the coffee shop with their well wishes for my college, finally bidding goodbye to this long summer.

i found this in my old laptop