When she was finally able to, Em slowly walked into the coffee shop, the pain of the familiarity causing her to exude a sharp intake of breath. The sweet and spicy smell of christmas trees filled her lungs, causing the smoldering gape of his absence to take over her entire body. Slowly, as if each step she took was weighed down with each of her sorrows, she made her way to the  table in which she was so painstakingly accustomed to, she closed her eyes, and she remembered.

June 1st, 2010

Emilie was tired. She had stayed up late the night before, moving into her new place. She had just turned 19 and was going to attend her first year of college in August. She needed coffee. Her roommate and best friend had mentioned the Pine Tree Cafe. It was a quaint little shop on the street corner across the apartment complex. When she went through doors, she was quite surprised that it actually smelled like christmas trees. It was a pleasant little shop and it was relatively empty, save for a dapper looking guy that seemed around her age. After she had ordered and the barista handed her coffee, she turned to leave, when the guy who was previously sitting down, slammed into  her, sending his iced coffee down the front of her shirt. Emilie gasped as the freezing, sticky liquid traveled down her chest. “Now look what you’ve done, you incoherent, blumbering idiot!” The guy said. Emilie stood there, shivering, and seething. She was about to come up with a retort when he looked into her bright blue eyes. “I-- I’m sorry. I-- you-- I didn't mean--” He trailed of at Emilie’s withering glare. He looked down and held out his hand, “I’m Jacob-- My friends call me Jake.” She stared at him, thinking whether or not to take his hand.  “I could think of a few things to call you,” she retorted, but took his hand nevertheless. “I’m Emilie.” She told him. 

Apiril 17th 2013

“Jake! Pay attention! We have to pass this exam if we want to graduate!” Em whined.  They were in the Pine Tree Cafe, a coffee shop that regularly smelled like christmas, whatever the season. Baaaaabe,” Jacob started for the umpteenth time. “How am I supposed to focus on terribly boring philosophy homework when someone as beautiful as youuu is teaching me?” “Jacob!” Em exclaimed, stifling a laugh. Try as she might, the philosophy homework was indeed dry, and they had been working hard (Emilie at least), so she deemed it harmless to indulge her boyfriends childish ways and they packed their homework and left.

December 24th 2014

“C’mon, Em, just a little farther,” Jake prodded. “ Jonathan Jacob Anderson, I swear if you do not tell me where you are taking me,” she said slightly annoyed. He said nothing and she pulled on the blindfold to no avail. “Emmm no you’ll ruin the surprise”Jake exclaimed, taking her hands and dragging her forward. She heard the sound of a bell ringing and a door opening. A gush of warm air hit her and the scent of Christmas trees. A grin spread across her face. He guided her to the small table in the back, that they visited so often it felt like theirs. He helped her into a chair. “Okay, take off the blindfold.” In the small cafe stood the manager, her best friend, her little sister, and her mom. All poster boards  covered in Jake’s scratchy handwriting. The rest of their friends and family stood behind them, some recording, some taking picture, some just beaming. “Jake...” she trailed off, reading the signs.  “My dearest Emilie,  I brought you to our “place” as we like to say, to remind you of old times, all the way back to freshman year of college, and to create new times, until we’re old and senile and can’t remember our children’s names.” Her eyes filled with tears as she silently read on.. “I love you Em, all the way from your crazy sense of style  to the bottom of your blue tipped hair... be my forever?”  She looked at Jacob with a sense of overpowering joy and incredulousness. All she could do was nod her head to escape the overpowering emotion she felt, as she leapt into his embrace.

June 1st 2016

“Do you remember that  six years ago it was this very day,  that we met?” Jacob said, a look of amusement in his eyes.  “I do in fact, I seem to recall you saying something quite rude.” Emilie responded  with a grin on her lips. “I have no regrets, for that coffee was hot, and if I hadn’t said it we might not even be married.” Jake claimed sheepishly. Em smiled and looked into her newlywed husband’s eyes.  Her love for him was greater than anything she had ever felt before.  She knew right then and there in that little cafe, that she would never love another as she had loved him. She was so very thankful that she had been given the chance to know him.  “I love you, you know?” She whispered. “I know,” He told her. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the coffee shop. The scent of pine lingering in the air.

January 2nd, 2017

The very last day

Jake and Em were walking to their favorite coffee shop.  They were crossing the street and Jake was going on about something at work. Em was tired and thought longingly of sleep. “EMILIE WATCH OUT!”  Suddenly, feeling as if it was the speed of light, Jacob threw Emily out of the way so that she hit the floor. She gasped and looked at Jacob and she saw as the SUV hit him knocking him down, and causing his head to slam on the ground. “JAKE, JAKE!” she cried. She got up and went to move, but the Van kept going and slammed into her side before reversing and speeding off. Her left side was on fire. Her thigh was twisted in the wrong direction. She could feel something hot dripping from her forehead.  She needed to get to Jake.  He lay there motionless five feet away. She cried his name. She painstakingly crawled over to him, every time she dragged herself further she let out a gasp of pain. She finally got to him, ignoring the people starting to surround them. She ignored the manager and she ignored people stopping their cars and calling out to them. She heard people screaming to call nine one one. Her vision was spotting.  She finally got to her husband. His hand was shaking. He was bleeding profusely from a wound in his head. His left arm looked broken.  “Jake. Jake, baby say something. Jake. Oh, oh Jake talk to me.” He looked to her, his eyes glazed. He opened mouth and more blood seeped out. “Oh Jake, Jake, what have you done, it should have been me.” she started to sob. “Oh, baby, it'll be okay. It'll be okay.  Close your eyes.  It's okay, we’ll be okay. Oh Jake. Oh you beautiful person. Why did you do this. We’ll be okay, It's okay just close your eyes.” He blinked a couple of times and his breath ceased “Oh, oh no. No no. Ohmygod, Jake. Oh baby, no. No-- n-- no, no!” She laid her head on his blood spattered chest and closed her eyes, wishing the world away. She was shivering. As she slipped out of consciousness, the scent of Christmas trees lingered in her nose.

She opened her eyes. Em was back in the present. Tears were streaming down her face. She missed him. She walked out of the coffee shop, never looking back.