Chapter 57:

LVII | Study

The Rowan Tree


Rowan finishes her coffee
before she starts studying.

She's

already

addicted.

She orders a second cup.

Her textbooks
and notes

fill the length
of the four people table.

'You're not studying?' she asks.

A shrug.

I lean back
in my dark velvet seat.

'Maybe later,' I reply.

Her eyes
find a line on the page

and she disappears
into another world.

I can watch her
as I like now—

don't think she'll notice.

She doesn't wear earphones
when she studies
like Nora and I do.

But she might as well have.

No matter who
leaves the cafe,

who's talking out loud,

she doesn't hear it.

'Rowan,' I whisper.

Her coal-black eyes
tear away from the textbook,
her pen goes still.

'Yeah?' she asks.

But one word from me
makes a difference.

It's funny.

'You're really pretty in that dress.'

The tips of her ears
turn red.

She returns to the world
of study.

I push our cups of coffee
aside,

lean in closer to her.

There's a slight furrow

between
her eyebrows.

I touch the spot on her forehead
with one finger.

She doesn't respond.

The door is opened,
it gives out another tinkling laugh.

I put down my hand
and look over.

A couple is leaving.

(Other than us,)
there's only one man left,

typing furiously
obscured by the fronds
of a plant.

Outside the door,
crowds of people walk to and fro

like sardines
escaping a can.

Orchard Road is always this crowded.

But Whimsical Coffee
is always empty.

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