You are sitting in the morning at the diner on the corner. You are waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee. And he fills it only halfway, and before you even argue, he is looking out the window at somebody coming in.

“It is always nice to see you,” says the man behind the counter to the woman who has come in. She is shaking her umbrella. And you look the other way as they are kissing their hellos. Pretending not to see them, instead you pour the milk.

You have been coming to Tom’s Diner since the new staff hire — the curly, raven-haired man who has become the object of your affection. You come every day, sit right there at the counter. Some days he doesn’t work — you’ve just about memorized his schedule. But you have been talking to him when you can. And slowly, you were building up the courage and confidence to ask him out.

But then comes this gorgeous woman, and they kiss. And then you realize it’s never going to happen. So you continue to stir in the cream and sugar for your coffee, pretending like you don’t feel the world closing in on you.

Arthur waits for the woman to disappear behind the counter — an employee? No way — before he goes back to tending to you.

“Sorry about that,” he chuckles. He’s got this… lightness about him; this brightness in his eyes that wasn’t there before. “That’s Elizabeth. She’s new. I don’t know if you’ve met her yet, even though you’re here practically every day.”