Chuckling to myself, I grabbed the photo that lay in my nightstand drawer. My finger traced its rugged edges, as I took note of its fading, grey color. The photo had been through a lot over the years, running my fingers over the wrinkles it had developed.  In the photo, two people were looking at each other lovingly, each blossoming with their youth.  The two figures looked radiant, but the girl had a hint of worry in her bright, ocean blue eyes.  She had her hand tucked in her hair, twirling her jet black locks nervously. As for the man, well, he had looks that I would never, ever forget. Smiling, I remembered the freezing, winter day that the photo was taken.
Winter, 1972
Only a few more steps, I had told myself as I walked briskly along the gray, narrow walkway.  I licked my lips again, trying desperately to make myself warm in this freezing, bitter cold.  Pulling my jacket closer to my now rosy cheeks, I began to pick up my pace.  Sirens were wailing, cars were racing by, and the familiar city musk was in the air.  My feet carried me through its regular route, dodging and swerving in and out of the jungle of people all around me.  Everyone had somewhere to go and people to see, everyone in this city had a purpose.  You knew what you were living for, and who you were going to be in this world.  The city didn’t stop for anyone, everyone kept going.  That was everyone’s motto, to keep going.
Then, you have me.  For misfits like me, who didn’t know what they were doing in life, living in the city was a struggle.  I had no idea what I was doing with my life, and I always felt uncertain.  Today I was on a mission to change that.  I clutched my life in my palm, twirling the ring that lay in it.  I took a glimpse at it, it was a simple gold ring.  It hugged my finger perfectly whenever I wore it, I wasn’t wearing it today, and I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to wear it again.
My heart began to thump rapidly, as my mind went back to the reason I was walking in this concrete jungle.  A smile was immediately plastered on my face as the blinking coffee sign came into my sight.  Suddenly, the musky scent had vanished and a comforting cloak of coffee and warmth now filled the air.  The aromatic, scrumptious smell of the approaching coffeehouse made me smile even wider.

My numb fingers opened up the door, and immediately my cheeks flushed from the embracing warmth of the space heater.  Sounds of smooth jazz filled my ears, as I scanned the room for the one I was looking for.  I took a seat in my regular booth, taking a deep breath to take in the scene that surrounded me.  Laughter and conversations took place all around, everyone in here savoring each other’s company.  On the wall next to the booth I was sitting at, was a photo frame  that said “True love conquers all,” which had always been my favorite quote, and made that booth all the more special.  I turned to my right, and saw an old man, in his late sixties, taking photos of the jazz band with his camera. Seeing a character like him here at the coffeehouse wasn’t unusual, as everyone in here was so lively.
This was the only place that I felt like I had belonged. Unlike the outside world, everyone had time in here.  You had time to listen to each other and hear what they had to say, you had time to figure out yourself, and you had time to actually enjoy life.  I had begun coming here regularly in the summer, when it had first opened up.  I still remembered the inviting faces of all the employees, and the rich coffee they had served me after long days of work.  It became a daily routine for me.
After today however, I probably wouldn’t take another step into this coffeehouse.  I was leaving all of this behind, the jazz, the aroma, the golden ring, and my one true love.  I wanted to find a place where the outside world was like this coffeehouse, so alive and welcoming.  Also I was tired of the uncertainty of my life, and I was going to find my purpose.  Away from this concrete jungle, this bitter winter, and away from this coffeehouse.  There was only one thing left to do now-
“Coffee miss?”
I looked up, and before me was the one I was leaving behind.  The coffeehouse employee welcomed me with his regular line and his crooked smile. The first thing I ever noticed about him was his build, very strong and muscular, one that made me feel safe in this wild and aimless world.  His honey eyes were always dancing, so lively and care free, and were never filled with worry.  His chestnut hair was always clean and cut, and his personality was always charming and polished. I couldn’t help but grin at the sight of him.
“Same answer as always.”  I said chuckling as I motioned for him to sit down, after pouring me my last cup of coffee.
“You’re twirling your hair love, is everything alright?” He asked whilst sitting down, with concern in his voice.
“SMILE PRETTY!”  We heard a foreign voice intrude, before I could answer his question.  We both look up to see the old man had made his way over to take a photo of us. He hurried away shortly after that.

I took a deep sigh, suddenly remembering why I had come here in the first place.  As my stomach growled with nervousness, I looked at my lover that sat before me, and remembered all the deep conversations we had, how we had talked about everything.  The weather, the headlines of the newspaper, the Godfather, the Olympics, basically whatever came into our minds.  I remembered how he had saved up every last penny to buy me this ring.  Throughout all of this, we had fallen in love.  However for me, I didn’t want to be tied down to this coffeehouse like he was.  I wanted to figure out my life, and to get rid of that uncertainty.  They always say, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
“Here” I said, sliding the golden ring across the table towards him.  He picked it up, immediately knowing what I was doing and offered me a smile.  That was what I had loved most about him, he understood me in a way that no one else could, and that’s also what I would miss most. He took the ring in his palm, running his fingers over it.  He was looking down at it, so his beautiful eyes were no longer visible to me.
“Keep it.” He said looking up and sliding the ring back over.  I gave him a puzzled look, and opened my mouth to explain the decision I was making, when he cut me off.
“Look to your left miss, “True love conquers all.”  We’ll meet again, I promise.” He got up suddenly, leaving me and the golden ring at the table.  He winked at me, strolling off behind the counter, with the casual strut that made me take note of him in the first place.  I took the ring that lay on the table, and placed it on my middle finger.  In that way, he would always be with me through this journey.  I sipped the last of the delicious coffee, savoring every last taste of it, before getting up.  I looked around and took a final look  at everything, the jazz bound, the coffee counter, my favorite quote, my booth, and made my way for the door.
“Wait madam! Your picture!”  The old man caught up with me before I had reached the door, and handed me the photograph.  It showed me and my love, at our booth just a few minutes earlier.  The man scurried away, just as quick as he had the first time.
“Wait! Please let me pay you!” I called off after him, but it was no use, he was out of earshot.  I sighed, tucking the picture away in the pockets of my jacket. I turned my gaze toward the counter to take a final glimpse of the one I was leaving behind, and I saw he was staring back at me.
                At that moment, it was just us two in the coffeehouse.  The jazz band suddenly didn’t exist anymore, nor did the conversations and laughter of everyone around us.  It was just us two in the room, taking one last look at each other. He offered me a smile with a reassuring nod, giving me the blessing to go on my journey.  Although many feet from each other, our hearts were still connected, and I knew they would always be no matter how far away from each other we were.
  I closed my eyes and let the world come back to me, letting my ears fill with the smooth jazz, clattering coffee mugs, and melodic laughter.  I let my lungs fill with the warm scent of cinnamon and hot beverages.  I opened my eyes to let my vision fill with the scene that lay before me, and with that I turned around and pushed open the door, leaving the rich aroma of coffee and love behind.  I was now back in the crowd of people, again searching for a place to be.  Never again did I go back into that coffeehouse.
40 years later
They say your soul mate is a person who makes you be the most you, you can possibly be.  That is exactly what the man in the picture did, he made me realize who I was and persuaded me to find myself.  To find my internal happiness, even if it meant leaving the comfort of all that I had known.  The journey after that day was a long and hard one, but I wouldn’t have given it up for the world.  Reflecting on it, forty years later, sitting in this house, looking at this picture, I could honestly say that I was happy with the outcome of both of our lives.  We found out who we were, and each ran successful lives.
I placed the photo back into the nightstand, tucking it away safely, as a familiar fragrance filled the area around me.  I twirled the ring that hugged my middle finger, as I always did, just to make sure it was still there I smiled to myself knowingly, as I became closer to the source of the smell.
“Coffee miss?”
I found the figure saying, grinning down on me.  I had practiced these lines for the last forty years.
“Same answer as always.”  I said, taking the cup of coffee into my hands