The coffee shop

Stepping into the coffee shop feels like a temporary reprieve from the bustle of the streets outside. Ethan presumes, correctly, that he got in a bit before most people's morning coffees ran dry.

Walking up to the register, Ethan comes face-to-face with an oddly familiar-looking older woman. In fact, he's sure he knows who she is, but can't quite put a name to a face... It's not until he reaches the counter does he spots a name tag.

"Mornin', " June, or so her nametag denotes her as, smiles, "Wonderin' when you'd wander in here."

"Uh..." Ethan tries to think back. He knows he knows her, and the name June is vaguely familiar, but he can't seem to quite connect the dots. "I didn't know you worked here..." Ethan shrugs, unsure if that will buy him time to try and figure out how he knows her.

June gives Ethan a slightly bemused look. "You don't remember me, do you?"

She said it in such a disarming tone, Ethan can't help but blurt out: "Oh, fuck, sorry, I don't..."

Chuckling, June waves her hand in the air, further disarming Ethan's concern. "It's okay, I didn't expect ya to really. Only met ya once or twice ya know..." she drops her hand and sighs. "I'm your cousin."

Ethan blinks. "What?

"Well, technically..." June frowns slightly, "I'm your first cousin... Two times removed? Well, me and your grandpa were first cousins... So that makes me and your daddy first cousins once removed... Which would make us..."

"Twice times removed..." Ethan swallows slightly. He had, in the back of his head, been slightly worried he may end up running into, or perhaps doing more with, somebody he was related to. It was actually a slight relief he ran into a woman almost assurady three times his age.

"Sorry 'bout your grandma," Cousin June frowns, "She was hell of a woman. Couldn't play Gin Rummy to save her life, but still..." she smiles at Ethan, and the two lock stares for a moment.

Ethan feels his face twist into something he'd been trying to avoid, and thankfully, June seems to catch that quickly.

"So," she pats the register, "What can I get for you, little cousin?"