It was a crisp autumn afternoon when Lucy first saw him. She was sitting at her usual spot in the quiet corner of the local café, a steaming cup of chai in front of her, her laptop open, though she wasn’t really working. She was staring out the window, lost in thought, watching the golden leaves twirl in the breeze. Then, he walked in. Tall, with messy brown hair and a worn leather jacket that looked like it had stories of its own, he seemed out of place, yet strangely at home in the cozy ambiance. He walked up to the counter, ordered a black coffee with a kind smile, and found an empty table across from her. Their eyes met briefly, and Lucy quickly looked down, feeling a flutter she hadn’t expected. She wasn’t someone who believed in love at first sight, but there was something magnetic about him. She returned to her screen, her heart inexplicably racing. Over the next few weeks, he came in every afternoon at the same time. Sometimes they would exchange brief glances, but neither o...