Before us✔️

Chapter Twenty nine

After me and Harriet finish our meal I quickly text Aiden that I'm going to work with Harriet and he quickly replies with an "Okay, I love you." text and my heart just flutters.

Harriet sees me smiling at my phone and she quickly peeks over my shoulder to see what I was up to. "Your so whipped." She answers and grabs the phone from my hand and sees the message for her self.

"Forever." I quickly text back and hide my phone somewhere in my bag before Harriet begins harassing me over it.

"You ready to go?" Harriet asks slinging her black leather Prada handbag over her shoulder.

You would think I would get jealous that my best friend has nice things like that, but it doesn't bother me because I know you have to work hard to be able to afford luxuries in life. Anyway, I couldn't because she's my other half and I couldn't live without her in my life.

"Yes."

~~

"Do you remember that little boy Riley?" I wonder watching the cars and trees go past while sitting in

"That's such a funny story actually, he's been coming back to the coffee shop ever since. You should of seen the disappointment on his face when I told him that your staying the weekend in the lodges."

"Really? He's such a cute boy." I say before Harriet parks her car near the coffee shop windows and we both get out of the car and head inside to the dark and empty shop.

We both inside and go straight out back to get changed in our red penny-fore dresses and hair styled into a tight high pony ready to face the rest of the afternoon.

Harriet runs the dishwasher and begins to sterilise the equipment while I wash down the sides with desinfectant and prepare to open up.

I jog to the storage cupboard and refill the compartment up with fresh coffee beans and rearrange the plastic takeaway coffee cups. When we feel like everything is prepared and cleaned we switch the sign to open and finally turn on the lights. And suddenly, the coffee shop feels so much more alive and lively.

"We've got this." Harriet winks at me before returning to her assigned space behind the cashier.

A lady who always comes here to get her morning coffee walks through the door humming a sweet tune and greets us and orders her usual skinny flat latte with extra creme.

"I hope you have a good rest of your day." Me and Harriet sing in tune.

"You two girls!" She replies back and walks down the road.

By customers walking in and out and ordering it's already 3:10 in the afternoon and my legs are already aching from being on my feet since 6:30am. Just as the stars were looking down at me, the familiar brown haired little boy comes into my view and I've never been so happy in my life.

Looking hopelessly around the coffee shop I slightly tap his on his shoulder and reply with "Were you looking for me?" I chuckle and see his deep blue eyes widen in surprise.

"He's been driving me nuts, we've been here everything single day after school waiting for you." Hannah speaks up a smile forming on her young and radiant face.

"I'm sorry if I caused you inconvenience." I smile at Hannah and stoop down to Riley's level and give him a bear hug.

"Harriet, please could I have a Caffe Mocha and a strawberry and banana smoothie for the little one." She walks over to the register and hands Harriet ten pounds and goes to sit down on a chair next to me and Riley.

"Of course!" Harriet shouts over the loud blender and coffee machine.

We all sit together talk amongst our selves, me and Riley playing and Hannah and Harriet in a deep conversation about how it's like being a mum. She says it's not that easy as it looks, but it's all worth it in the end because you get to being up a beautiful human being and see them blossom and create their own life.

I guess I respect mothers even more now. I get it isn't always a smooth and easy road but they invest their whole half and energy into one thing. And one thing only and that's their child.

Hannah and John own a joint business, they are both interior designers for houses and she's showed me her work and it's absolutely beautiful. They add both modern and rustic features and a little twist of their own. They are both very hard working parents that are trying their hardest to ensure that Riley has everything for his future.

"What's your favourite storybook Riley?" I ask while he runs over his plastic cars over the wooden interior of the booth.

He stops playing with his car and his twinkling bright eyes twinkle back at me before he opens his small mouth and says, "Cinderella." He speaks up before switching sides.

"How unconvient!" Hannah signs and places a stressed hand on her forehead.

"Are you you okay Hannah?"Harriet worriedly asks her. She quickly softens her hard features and tries to put a smile on her face.

"I'm fine, it's just Riley's only babysitter has just cancelled on me. And me and his dad have a busy shift tomorrow and won't be back till late." She takes in a deep breathe in and out, smoothing out her black pencil skirt.

"Ive actually got a shift tomorrow at twelve but, I can come and look after Riley for a couple of hours if you would like me to?"

"Really Maddison?" She looks up at me a smile plastered on her soft face.

"If course, it's a better excuse to spend more time with Riley!" I chuckle and smooth out his messy hair with my hand.

"Your a life saver." She walks towards me and gives me a hug, while we exchange our numbers and Riley and Hannah begin to walk to their car.
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