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The soft chime of the doorbell rang again—not from a new customer, but from the back door leading to the café's kitchen.
Alice's eyes widened in mild panic as she recognized the footsteps. "Oh no… they're early today," she muttered.
Before Ethan could ask, the door opened—and in came two familiar figures.
"Alice, dear, we brought the—oh!" her mother stopped mid-step, her gaze instantly locking onto the man at the corner booth.
Alice's father, a stocky man with graying hair and a wide smile, stepped in beside her, holding a box of pastries. His eyebrows shot up in recognition.
"Well, well, look who it is!" he exclaimed. "Ethan!"
Ethan stood, politely nodding. "Mr. and Mrs. Cardenas. Good morning."
Alice's mother smiled brightly, her voice full of concern. "Are you okay, sweetheart? We heard about the accident last month. You gave us quite a scare. I'm so sorry we couldn't visit you when you got out of the hospital. Things were just… well, hectic."
Ethan gave a gentle smile, bowing slightly. "I'm fine now, really. Don't worry about it. It's good to see you both again."
"You're sure?" her mother asked again, stepping closer and lightly touching his arm. "No lingering pain? No headaches?"
"Nope. Feeling better than ever, actually."
"Good! That's a relief." She smiled and gave him a quick hug.
Alice's dad walked over, placing the pastry box on the counter, then turned back to Ethan and grinned. "Here, my boy. Have one. On the house." He handed him a flaky apple danish. "Eat it while it's still warm."
"Thank you, sir."
"And wow," he said, patting Ethan firmly on the back, making him rock a little in place, "you've bulked up, haven't you? Got that strong aura around you now. Like a young action star or something."
Ethan chuckled. "Been working out a bit."
Her father whistled. "No wonder my daughter's been carrying a torch for you all this time."
"DAD!!" Alice snapped, face burning red.
"Ohh?" her mom joined in with a playful grin, her eyes twinkling. "Ara~ So that's why our little Alice has always looked flustered when you're mentioned. My girl has good taste."
"MOM! Seriously—STOP!"
Ethan laughed as Alice covered her face with both hands in embarrassment, mumbling something under her breath. Thankfully, the café was still empty that morning.
"Don't worry, Alice," Ethan said between chuckles. "It's… actually kinda cute."
"Ughhh," she groaned, turning away. "You two are the worst…"
Her parents just grinned, clearly enjoying themselves.
"We'll leave you two to talk," her mom said, giving her daughter a kiss on the head. "Let us know if you need help opening later, okay?"
Alice nodded silently, still trying to recover her composure. Her parents disappeared into the kitchen with a wink, leaving her alone with Ethan again.
She slowly returned to the table, sitting across from him while still flushed. "I swear… they do that every time."
Ethan smirked and leaned back comfortably in his seat. "Can't blame them. You're fun to tease."
She gave him a side-eye glare. "You're just as bad as they are now."
"That so?"
Alice huffed, arms crossed. "And don't think I've forgotten about yesterday, by the way."
"Oh?" Ethan leaned in slightly, resting his chin on his hand. "You mean our kiss?"
Her face lit up bright red again. "D-Don't just say it like that!"
He grinned mischievously. "What? It was a kiss. A really nice one, if I remember right."
"Ethan!"
He laughed, unable to hold it in any longer.
Alice pouted, and in a quick motion, she smacked his arm with the back of her hand. It was more of a tap, really.
"Hey!" he said mockingly. "Was that supposed to hurt?"
She narrowed her eyes. "It was supposed to."
"Well," Ethan said, leaning in again with a smirk, "if this is how you flirt now, I might need to up my game."
Alice groaned, but a smile crept up her face despite herself.
"You've gotten bolder," she said quietly, eyes meeting his. "And more confident."
He shrugged lightly. "Guess I've been through some things. Changed a little."
"I can see that," she whispered. "But it suits you."
Their eyes lingered for a moment before Alice, flustered again, looked away and reached for her notepad, pretending to check the orders.
"You're dangerous, Ethan."
"Dangerous?" he echoed.
She gave him a playful glance. "Yeah. To my peace of mind."
Ethan grinned. "Well, then I'll try to keep the damage to a minimum… no promises though."
Alice laughed softly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Welcome back, Ethan."
He leaned back, sipping his coffee, and for the first time in what felt like forever, said the words with full meaning.
"It's good to be back."
---
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