The following morning he awoke to a flood of white light. That's how he knew he had slept in. In the 

winter

, you had to wake up in the dark if you wanted to wake up at a decent hour.

he didn't want to get out of bed. But the light made him not want to close his eyes.

He knew that once out of bed, he'd enjoy what came next. Getting changed. Brushing his teeth. Walking around and finally getting a coffee. A quick small cup of coffee from the pot his mom made every morning. Then he'd make his way over to the cafe. Where he'd drink a real coffee.

He was going to bring a book. Really he should be looking at jobs. But given he had only a few days left in town, why not take the final stretch to relax he thought. If he were to bring his laptop he wouldn't really be looking for jobs anyhow. He'd be scrolling and reading meaningless drivel. Jumping from one unsubstantial thought to the next. At least with a book, he'd stick with a thought through some depth. He could already taste the coffee in his mouth. The one at the cafe. Not the burnt tasting sludge that his mom made.

"Good morning," she said.

"Morning, mom."

She asked if he slept well. The same question each morning. He replied, as usual, good.

He finally responded to the video. He didn't expect a reply back. This was one of the busiest hours at the cafe. But as soon as he put the phone in his pocket he felt a vibration.

"Do you need anything from the store?"

"Mm. Nothing I can think of."

"You sure?" she looked at him. "Why do you look so happy?"

"Nothing. Leave me alone!" he said while turning away from her.

Imogen's text said "yeah i know right? Are you stopping in today?"