“Do you know how much I just want to crawl into your arms and have you hold me tight?”

She fell forward into his embrace. Taking in a gasp, he rested his head upon hers and breathed in her flowery shampoo. A moment passed where he closed his eyes but still firmly had his arms engulfing her. He opened them with the realisation that he needed to express something too. Taking her face into his warm palms, he softly smiled.

“I know I’m supposed to be brave and strong for you, but I have to admit all I want to do right now, is collapse into you and get lost in your scent. Just to feel your sweet hands brushing my hair, touching my skin just to know, you’re protecting me. I want to lose myself in you.”

She let him do just that. 

********************

Tina closed the novel slowly. The emotions from within the words remained with her and she was in a daze. She leaned back into the comfortable booth, allowing it to envelope her. The kitchen was burning toast and noisy teenagers crashed into the booth behind her, slurping shakes. Outside the cafe, an irritated car honked its horn. Tina was a million miles away.

She sighed. “Cool.”

“Kennard! Oi!”

She snapped her head up, startled. The view in front of her was one of complete terror. An overweight cranky woman with a lovely trail of colourful stains upon her apron, after barking out at Tina, continued to stare at her in expectation. Tina smiled sweetly.

“Come on, Martha. You know I got five more minutes. You ain’t trying to swindle me out of it, are ya?”

“Butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth Kennard. Remember who you’re talking to.”

“Yah-ha. I’m sure you won’t let me forget. Now stop cutting into my private time.” Tina gave a mocking sneer at the larger women and returned back to pour over her just finished novel. Martha took her hands off her hips, strolled over to Tina’s table, parked her heavy carriage into the booth opposite the blonde and grappled the book out of Tina’s hands.

“Hey!” Tina started before she glanced at Martha’s face.