a closed starter for @adahgio | the cafe, post funeral
Heading into the familiar cafe was something Evan really needed. He'd had a heavy day at the funeral and Jonathan's house afterwards, and Evan really needed a shift in energy. So he planned on starting his day out the right way — a coffee and a croissant. Then he'd figure it out from there but it was one step at a time for now.
He welcomed the smell of coffee the moment he stepped into the cafe and had to fight the urge to close his eyes, to take the moment in. Coming back to Hawkins had been one hell of a trip. What he hadn't expected as seeing a familiar face again, and instead of joining the cue, he headed towards Serena to say hello again. It was nice to see a familiar face that wasn't shrouded in the heaviness of past mistakes.
' Serena ? ' he said politely, offering a bright smile. ' It's nice to see you here again. '
Evan had never meant anything more earnestly. He didn't want to seem weird or forward with his kindness, but really, it was nice to talk to someone who wasn't going to judge him, or wasn't his ex-wife. Sarah was, and always would be, important to him, but last night's misunderstanding weighed on him in ways he didn't want to think about right now.