"A missed bus means killing time in the cafe for a while"
When Susie watched her bus pull away, it summed up a day when very little had gone according to plan. Spinning out a coffee seemed a better idea than venturing out into the rain, so she went into the cafe...
"a shared view of what counts delivers its reward"
'Text me with your thoughts.'When Paul saw this written on the front of her tee shirt, it brought the first real smile to his face of the day. Seeing a mobile number displayed on the back of it was his...
"It is time to move forward, but what can be done to ease the journey?"
She sat down silently on the bench in the park. She needed space, but not in a way that made her feel alone. He was certain he could see sadness in her eyes, but he knew it wasn’t his place...
"A notepad and pen sees the time spent delayed on a journey fly by"
The replacement bus would take at least an hour to arrive. The news hadn't gone down well—it was the middle of the night, and they were in the middle of nowhere. At least the driver said they could stay on...
"An early morning customer could be the captain on her voyage of discovery"
She emerged from behind the counter with his cigarettes and change. This daily routine allowed him to use the shop while his dog waited outside at the end of its leash. The scene amused those who had never witnessed it...
"the breaks in the journey are not designed to allow extra time for sightseeing"
A few hours after collaborating with Neil to develop her story, Sarah began to formulate her next plan. The lack of a deadline for the load she was delivering offered her some opportunities, but an unusual sense of guilt also...
"An attempt to take a nostalgic trip begins badly, but there is hope"
Having been let down by someone who had promised to give him a lift for a part of his journey south through France, Neil's thoughts turned to the question of what to do next, His trip was one he had...
"A friendly face appears when it is needed more than ever."
The constant stream of people seeking information was something she had come to expect. Their questions had changed little over the years. While the number of customers remained fairly stable, their expectations and lack of manners had become increasingly challenging.The...
"If it had happened yesterday, it would have been lost, but this was stored in the part of his memory that still worked"
Bureaucracy had enabled him to earn a living for over twenty years, but now, on the other side of the fence, it felt like a chore and one that he found exhausting.Her questions had a clear purpose, but he struggled...
On either side of the ocean, both took some time to catch up on their messages. As usual, Shiba had many to read, while Justin had far fewer. Among the messages, one stood out to Justin. He smiled, confident that...