Sophia
A few days after our first date, Noah showed up after closing time again, this time with a bag of takeout instead of a delivery crate, claiming he wanted to make up for keeping me waiting on that porch step.
"You didn't have to do this," I said, though I was already clearing off one of the small tables near the window, more than happy for the excuse to spend the evening with him.
"I know," he said, setting the containers down and pulling out two chairs. "Wanted to anyway."
We ate together in the quiet, empty bakery, the overhead lights dimmed low, just the soft glow from the display case lighting the space around us. It felt intimate in a way that surprised me, sitting here in the place that had been my entire world for years, sharing it with someone who had somehow become impor
