“Just two coffees please” Liz says, handing the older waitress the menus with an easy smile. Judy, says her nametag. “Thanks Judy,” Lizzie tries to make her face look friendly, and warm, but knows it comes off as more as a grimace. Judy gestures toward the empty booth across from her, eyebrows raised.

“He coming?” she asks, her voice smooth and gentle, matching her light appearance. Her red apron was once bright but is now lightened from many washings and is tied around her slightly plump waist. Her soft smile makes her eyes crinkle around the edges, the only sign of her old age. Her light eyes, neither green nor blue, are smiling as well as she waits for Liz to answer.

“Who?” Liz asks, surprised, wondering if she had ever had this waitress before.

“You’re boyfriend,” Judy says gesturing to Skylar walking in the doorway, winking.

“He’s not my,” she starts to protest, but Judy is already back behind the counter, getting their coffee. Liz shakes her head before watching Skylar slide in the booth opposite of her. He nods at her before looking at the old table, thrumming his fingers. Going to talk she stops short, seeing the tear that runs down his cheek.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” she asks, although she already suspects.

He laughs sheepishly, looking into her eyes. Feeling her heart catch, she takes him in. His tall toned body. His tanned arms, his large hands, calloused from hours of lifting for baseball season. His wild black hair, unable to tame. His lips, pink from the cool Maine air, and finally his warm brown eyes, boring into her own.

“You already know Lizzie,” he says softly, and she knows it’s like every other time. That once again his heart is broken from the newest blonde bimbo. That once again he dropped her cold turkey, just like all the other ones. And that once again, he won’t tell Liz why. She knows it’s no use to try to ask why. The first few times this happened she asked, but it got her nowhere so now she just nods and holds his hand while he drinks his coffee. Even though her heart breaks a little when she realizes this isn’t the last time this will happen; when she realizes he is just gonna go get himself another girl, that he won’t realize that he already has her. But she bites back her tears and softly wipes away his, because all he needs is a friend.

“What would I do without you, Lizzie?” he asks, sighing into his coffee.

“You’ll never have to know,” she chokes out, wanting to say so much more.