10. Besties
TEN
Besties
BESTIES
Café Mocha - Grant’s Crossing, Ohio
Tara opened the door of Café Mocha coffee shop, recently opened by her lifelong friend, Celeste Carter. She happily breathed in the aromatic scent of coffee that nearly overwhelmed her senses the moment she stepped over the threshold.
This was her first time in the shop since it officially opened for business, and she stopped long enough to take it all in. Her eyes wandered to the tables and cozy couches against the walls as she caught sight of the rectangular fireplace in the center of the room, surrounded by small tables, sure to be a favorite spot in colder weather. On the walls, coffee-themed drawings showing scenes from coffee shops to the brewing of coffee and even a storefront drawing of Mocha’s itself hung in simple black frames. The warm creams, reds, and browns made her feel warm and welcomed.
A loud, high-pitched squeal snapped her out of her reverie.
“TARA!”
Turning toward the sound, she grinned to see a petite, black woman with beautiful, natural hair extending in all directions sashaying straight toward her, her arms wide, clearly expecting a full hug.
“CELESTE!” Tara squealed, happily returning the hug and drawing the eyes of even the headphone-wearing customers. Their visits had been sporadic since Tara originally took her job in Chicago, but they always greeted each other like the besties they were.
“I’ve missed you!”
“I’ve missed you, too! Your shop is so beautiful. Congratulations!”
“That’s right. You haven’t seen it since before I officially opened it in the spring. It’s changed a lot since you saw it last.”
Tara’s best friend growing up and roommate at The Ohio State University, Celeste, grinned from ear to ear, clearly excited about her accomplishment. “It’s been a long road, but I made it.”
Tara thought back to last winter when Celeste first bought the rundown space that became Café Mocha. It had way-too-old seats and tables that were practically falling apart at the seams. Kiro and the men of GC Fire helped her fix it up so it would meet code and turn into the gorgeous café she now owned.
“You’ve really overhauled this space. It’s so warm and welcoming.”
Celeste stood taller, filling out her curvy, five-foot-two-inch frame.
“I love it! Now that I’m here, I don’t want to leave.” Tara gushed as her eyes landed back on the fireplace, making up the focal point in the center of the seating area.
“Gurl! It was such a mess. Took a lot of work, but I’m so happy with it.” She surveyed the inviting scene before her, relishing in the fact that it was really hers. Cutting herself off, she turned serious. “I hate why you came back, but it’s so good to see you. How’s your dad? Kiro said the accident was pretty awful.” Kiro and Celeste, who had flirted with the idea of dating for years and years, finally started dating each other last spring.
“I don’t know. I just got here, so I haven’t seen him yet. Mom says he’s doing okay. She and I are heading to the hospital in a few minutes. Speaking of which,” Tara put on a brave face. “Would you mind fixing us some of your famous coffee?”
Celeste gave her another hug, holding onto her arms for a moment as she spoke with a warm smile. “I don’t mind at all, though I’m not sure about the famous part. Yet! What sounds good?” She circled behind the counter, prepared to make anything her best friend wanted.
“Mom likes anything sweet, but for mine?” Tara’s lip curled up in a smile. “Surprise me! I plan to try everything, anyway.”
“You got it.” With a small bounce, Celeste started working her coffee brewing magic behind the counter and, practically dancing with delight, presented Tara with two warm beverages. “Your mom gets our signature mocha latte. And for you, a caramel macchiato.”
Tara leaned down toward the counter and used her hand to waft the scents closer. She closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled the delicious scents of decadent chocolate, incredibly strong coffee, and oh, so sweet caramel. “Oh…” she smiled as she drew out the word. “Oh. These both smell amazing.”
“Try taking a drink.” Celeste lifted a brow. “They taste even better.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Tara reached into her bag. “What do I owe you?”
“For my oldest bestie? Not a thing.”
“Celeste.” Tara’s shoulders sagged. “You can’t make money if customers don’t pay you. And I’m not old.”
Celeste turned her head for a sideways glance and wagged her finger from side to side. “Oh, I’ll take your money next time, don’t you worry. But as your friend, I’d buy you a cup of coffee when you got back into town, whether I owned the shop or not.”
“Fair enough, thanks. Hey.” Tara picked up the drinks. “Let’s catch up for real while I’m here. It’s been too long. Dinner?”
“Got plans tonight, but Kiro’s on shift tomorrow. How about tomorrow night? I close at 7 pm. Meet at Jo’s right after?”
“It’s a plan. See you then. Thanks, Celeste!”
“You’re welcome. Give my best to your dad and hug your mom for me.”
Grady Hospital - Delaware, Ohio
“Oh, Dad!”
Tara sniffed and fought tears at the sight of her father. Her own legs would barely move her to his bedside as she took in all the machinery and sounds monitoring his vitals. He was asleep with a tube in his nose and all sorts of wires and tubes connected to him. One side of his body was all bandaged up. He had his left leg propped up to keep it from moving. His left arm was in a cast and rested against his chest, thanks to a sling. They bandaged his ribs and the neck brace was still on to support his spine, but even his head wasn’t spared the need for bandages.
Tara cried out a laugh and brought her hand to her mouth. “He looks like a mummy.” Tears fell as she turned to her mom, who had her arm wrapped around Tara’s shoulders. The steady rhythm of his heart monitor kept the silence at bay. “Is there any part of him that wasn’t hurt?”
“He broke two bones in his leg and strained some ligaments in his ankle,” Tara’s mom explained. “They’re waiting for the swelling in his knee to go down before deciding how best to treat it.” Helen’s shaky voice was quiet and her words careful, but Tara shared the underlying worry. “He has a broken wrist and a dislocated shoulder. They say the neck brace is more of a precaution than anything else. His cheek and forehead were both cut with the glass from the windshield, but his eyes were spared, thank goodness.”
Tara’s breath shuddered as she inhaled. She sniffed and tried to catch her breath. “He’s going to be okay, right?”
“Yes, he will be just fine.”
Tara turned toward the deep voice to find a tall man wearing a white coat. Though strained, her mom offered a pleasant smile. “Dr. McIntyre. This is my daughter, Tara.”
He offered his hand for her to shake. “Nice to meet you, Tara. I know your mother is happy that you’re here.”
Tara sniffed and nodded as she shook his hand. “How is he?”
“We’re keeping him sedated at the moment to help manage the pain that he would otherwise be experiencing. We plan to start weaning him off that sometime tomorrow. For the moment, we’re monitoring him closely and are done with surgeries until the swelling in the knee goes down. Once it does, we can figure out how best to treat the damage there.”
He wrote a few notes on the tablet he carried. “It’ll take a while, but he should make a full recovery. Best thing for him now is to get his rest.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Helen managed an appreciative smile.
“Sure thing.” He nodded and strode out.
Tara pulled a yellow, upholstered chair closer to her dad’s bed and sat down. She reached through the safety rail that prevented patients from falling out of the bed. Careful not to disturb the IV needle sticking out of the back of his hand, she gently slipped her fingers beneath his fingers. “Hi, Dad.” She did her best to force a smile through her tears. “I’m here.”
She felt her mom’s hands on her shoulders and just let her tears fall, adding her periodic sniffle to the rhythm of the life-saving symphony of sounds.