Chapter Fifteen
Zephyr
They stood outside for a long time. Or maybe it was only a few minutes, but it felt longer.
They hugged one another, and I could see their lips moving.
What were they saying to one another after so long?
I wished I could read lips, but maybe that would be wrong anyway.
Not that they had privacy out on the sidewalk, but there might as well have been a bubble separating them from the others who sought to pass.
The foot traffic parted and flowed around them.
What would I say to a friend I’d loved for my whole childhood and planned to spend my life with only to have them ripped away from me with no will of my own?
I really wanted to go out and meet him, but I didn’t want to interfere with their reunion, so I stayed inside and continued working or at least trying to stay busy. Such an important moment in our lives, and I was thirty feet or so away from it.
But I knew. Cypress and Birch were soul mates. Perhaps that wasn’t the correct term, but it was close enough. They had been separated and now they were back together. It had my eyes swimming with tears for the little boys they had been and all the lost years.
And then they were coming inside, toward me where I stood behind the counter. They walked so close together, there was almost no space between them. As it should be.
“Zephyr, come and meet my old friend Birch,” Cypress urged. “I told you he was the one.”
“The picture on my profile is pretty bad,” Birch said, holding out his hand. “But Cypress says he knew it was me from the start.”
“How did you not know it was him?” I asked, shaking his hand. “You didn’t think he looked familiar or recognize his name?”
“Something must have glitched,” he said. “I only saw the picture of you and his name was missing.”
“That’s totally on me. I was doing the typing, when I should have let my techie husband do it. I was trying to help.”
“It doesn’t matter, mate,” Cypress put in, looking down at where I still held Birch’s hand. It felt so natural, I hadn’t even realized, but now that I did, I jerked it back. “We found one another anyway. Isn’t it great?”
“So great,” I agreed, still not sure if it was or wasn’t. Maybe a little scared. Or a lot. “You must have so much catching up to do.”
“Yes.” Cypress’ face glowed with happiness. “We do. We’re going to go sit down, so come over when you can take a break and join us, okay?”
“I will. Nice to meet you, Birch.” I watched them head for the table where Cypress had been sitting before his friend came. One of the baristas brought him a wet rag to wipe up his spilled drink then left the two of them alone.
“Is that a friend of your husband’s?” Eliza asked. “He’s so good-looking.”
I bristled at her question then softened. Of course she couldn’t know that I had my eyes on him for more than just a friend. I hoped not, anyway. “He is a friend of ours, yes,” I said. “And good-looking for sure. Could I get you to go in back and empty the trash?”
“Oh sure. It’s full already?”
“If not, it will be soon.” And quit looking at my mates. I mean mate and friend. I didn’t know what I meant.
But once she was in the back, I returned to ogling the two of them.
They were speaking animatedly, in a way I’d never seen Cypress before.
Lots of gesturing and exclamations. Smiles and laughter.
Not that we didn’t laugh together, but this was different.
He did have friends who were male, shifters and coworkers and others, but the freedom in his joy made my eyes sting.
Yes, Birch was very attractive, and I was pretty sure if I’d had a wolf, he’d have been right there for this, but I was only human and a little scared.