Page 14 of Sweet Heart

10:16 a.m. – Katherina

As we discussed, there is a high probability that your blood glucose drops during the night, which can disturb your sleep. Have you experienced things like waking up lethargic, feeling stressed without a direct cause, and having intensified dreams?

Intensified dreams? Is that even a scientific term?

10:17 a.m. – Mary Mary

Comes with the territory, Doctora.

10:17 a.m. – Katherina

I am afraid I don’t understand. Please elaborate.

Please elaborate? Really? For a moment, I wonder how I ended up in an online consultation when the realization hits me again. She texted me. Not the other way around. Catherine Durand, MD, was the one to send the first message. She is the one trying to get something out of this, but she is far too stuck-up to take it any further. So perhaps I should give her that option.

10:19 a.m. – Mary Mary

I can tell you all about it over a cup of coffee. Shall we say 1 p.m. at the Stonewall Shelf?

My fingers hover over Google Maps, ready to send her a location pin, when her reply comes in.

10:20 a.m. – Katherina

Make it 1:30.

My eyebrows dart up. No pushback, no professional distance, not even a request for the location. Which means she might know where it is. Which means she knows it’s an LGBT bookstore with a complimentary coffee bar. Oh… my… god! Is she queer?

***

My heart is fluttering in my chest, and my hand rests against the wooden doorframe. The café is too far back for me to be able to see if she’s already there, but everything inside me screams that she’ll be waiting. She is definitely the punctual type. Might even scold me for only being here three minutes early. A sudden rush of nerves washes over me. What if this is a mistake? I push open the door regardless and step inside. Fear has ruled my life for far too long. I will no longer let it dictate my choices.

It is dim inside, even though the windows offer plenty of natural light. The stuffy smell of the secondhand section drifts toward me and eases my nerves. This is my happy place, the place where I belong. I roll my shoulders back and greet the owner, Ven, who’s behind the counter and raises her hand. The farther I walk into the back, the brighter the light becomes, and the more the clinking of coffee cups fills the silence. Tessa, the barista, lights up when she sees me and waves enthusiastically. I can’t help but grin and wave back before I let my eyes dart over the café.

All seats but two are empty, and neither of those customers is Catherine Durand, MD. She didn’t come. The feelings of defeat, rejection, and sadness settle somewhere in my chest as I sink down in my favorite spot. I reach for my phone, but there are no unread messages. It’s still early. Maybe not that punctual, then.

Tessa pulls me from my thoughts when she puts the cappuccino in front of me, a small worried frown on her face.

“Is everything okay, Mar?”

I smile up at her and nod.

“Yep. Thanks for the coffee.”

She regards me for a moment, and I struggle not to shrink under her gaze. She squints, but she nods slowly regardless.

“No problem, it’s on the house.”

For some reason, that hits me even harder. Apparently, I’m now giving off desperate enough vibes to make people pity me. Still, I grit my teeth and smile.

“Thanks, Tessa.”

I make it a point of grabbing my phone, and she luckily takes the hint, stepping away to tend to the other customers. When it buzzes, I almost yelp, but the dark cloud in the pit of my stomach stirs.

01:31 p.m. – Katherina

I’m almost there. Ran late.

No fluff, no excuse, nothing. Just the notification. Still, I feel a chuckle bubble up from within me. She’s coming. She is actually coming. The corners of my mouth tug up, and by the time I lift my eyes, I see Tessa grinning at me. I wink at her, and she nods in return. No words needed.