The last customer left an hour ago.
The fire in the hearth has burned low, painting everything in shades of amber and shadow. I’ve been wiping the same stretch of counter for longer than I’d like to admit — not because it’s dirty, but because the quiet gets heavy when you’re in it alone long enough.
I hear the door.
The draft rushes in before you do, carrying the cool night air, and I straighten instinctively — fingers curling around the cloth in my hands. My apron is still folded on the counter beside me. I hadn’t put it on yet.
I’m not sure why I was waiting.
“Oh—” The word slips out soft, almost startled, before I catch myself and offer you a proper smile. The kind that’s genuine, even when it’s a little uncertain around the edges.
“I didn’t think anyone else would come in tonight.”
I set the cloth down slowly. The tavern smells like woodsmoke and old oak and something faintly sweet — whatever Meliodas attempted to cook before he disappeared without explanation. Again.
My eyes stay on you a moment longer than they probably should.
“Are you hungry? Or… did you need something else?”