(A Bedtime Story for the Heart)
Hidden between two dusty bookstores on a quiet cobblestone street sat the tiniest café you’ve ever almost missed. Most people walked past it, distracted by their phones or the smell of fresh croissants next door. But if you listened closely, you could hear the soft hum of old jazz records spinning, and if you peeked in, you’d find five cozy tables bathed in golden lamp light, and walls decorated not with art—but with love letters.
Some were crumpled and stained. Some were typed on paper as thin as memory. All of them whispered secrets from another time.
Maya never meant to return.
Three years ago, she’d packed her bags, her heart, and all the what-ifs, and left this town—and Leo—behind.
But tonight, something tugged her back.
The café smelled just the same: like cinnamon dust, burnt coffee, and a bit of longing. She slipped into the back corner booth—their booth—and wrapped her hands around a chipped mug. No expectations. No plans. Just memories.
Then—ding.
The bell over the door chimed.
She didn’t need to look. Her chest already knew.
The way the air shifted. The way her breath caught like a song she hadn’t heard in years.
Then came the voice.
Low. Familiar.
“I wondered how long it would take you to find your way back.”
She looked up.
Leo.
That same tousled hair. That same look—half smile, half question—as if he was still trying to figure her out.
He didn’t sit. Not yet.
His eyes wandered to the wall of letters. “Do you think people ever come back for their words?”
Maya gave a slow smile. “I think some words never leave.”
He finally slid into the seat across from her. For a while, neither spoke. The café buzzed around them with the soft clink of spoons, the crackle of vinyl, and the sleepy hum of the barista behind the counter.
Then, Leo reached into his coat and gently placed two things on the table: a matchbook and a folded piece of paper.
Maya’s eyes widened.
The matchbook. Their matchbook. The one from their very first visit, where he scribbled his number in blue ink. She’d teased him, called him “hopelessly retro.” He’d said it was “romantically cinematic.”
With trembling fingers, Maya unfolded the note.
Her own handwriting stared back at her:
“If we ever lose each other, meet me here. I’ll be waiting.”
She blinked. Her voice cracked. “I forgot I wrote that.”
Leo smiled. “I didn’t.”
And just like that, with candlelight flickering between them and old jazz weaving through the air, Maya reached across the table.
Their fingers touched.
Some stories don’t need rewriting.
Just a little courage to turn the page.
