The Beachside Cafe

The walk back up from the shoreline feels slower now somehow.

Not because either of you are tired, but because neither of you seems in any rush to be anywhere else.

Your fingers stay intertwined with Jane’s while the two of you make your way across the warm sand together, still slightly damp from the ocean. The breeze keeps lifting strands of her hair across her face while your oversized hoodie hangs loosely off her frame, partially swallowing the bikini underneath.

Every once in a while she bumps lightly into your side for absolutely no reason.

The small beach town beyond the sand feels alive in that soft, relaxed coastal way that somehow makes everything feel slower. Music drifts faintly from open restaurants nearby while people wander lazily between surf shops and cafés carrying towels and iced drinks.

The second Jane spots a small open-air café near the corner of the boardwalk, she immediately squeezes your hand.

“That one,” she says excitedly.

The place looks cozy in a very specific beach-town way. White-painted wood. String lights hanging beneath the awning. Plants everywhere. The ocean visible through the open patio seating while soft indie music hums quietly overhead.

“It literally looks fake,” Jane says while staring at it. “Like someone designed it specifically for Instagram.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” you chuckle.

“It’s absolutely not a bad thing.”

You laugh softly before pulling the door open for her.

The cool air inside immediately feels amazing after the heat outside.

“Oh my god,” Jane sighs dramatically while stepping inside. “I’m never leaving.”

“You said that about the beach house too.”

“Because both are perfect.”

The hostess leads the two of you toward a small table near the windows overlooking the water. Sunlight pours softly across the wooden floors while waves crash steadily somewhere beyond the patio outside.

The second Jane sits down, she stretches her legs beneath the table and exhales happily.

“I could genuinely nap right now,” she admits.

“You already almost fell asleep in the car twice.”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“I was horizontal emotionally.”

You stare at her for a second.

“That sentence made zero sense.”

“It made perfect sense.”

You laugh quietly while she pulls the sleeves of your hoodie farther over her hands before grabbing the menu.

A few moments later, the waitress comes by for drink orders.

Jane changes her mind three separate times before finally deciding on a mango smoothie and an iced coffee “for balance.”

“You’re unbelievable,” you tell her once the waitress leaves.

“No,” she replies confidently. “I’m multifaceted.”

“You’re indecisive.”

“That too.”

The ocean breeze drifts faintly through the open patio doors nearby while sunlight sparkles across the water outside. Everything feels warm and sleepy and peaceful in a way that makes time stop mattering for a little while.

Eventually Jane sets her menu down and leans back in her chair slightly. Then she sighs. Not dramatically this time. Just tired. You notice immediately.

“What?” you ask softly.

She shakes her head a little.

“Nothing.”

“That was definitely a something sigh.”

A small smile pulls at her mouth.

“You know me too well.”

“That’s literally my job.”

She looks down at the table for a second, absentmindedly tracing one finger along the edge of the menu.

“I think I’m just realizing how exhausted I’ve been lately,” she admits quietly.

You stay quiet, letting her continue.

“Nursing school is actually insane sometimes,” Jane says with a tired laugh. “Like I knew it’d be hard obviously, but I don’t think I realized how nonstop it would feel.”

The waitress returns with your drinks, but Jane barely notices at first.

“I feel like there’s always something I’m behind on,” she continues. “If I’m not at work, I’m studying. If I’m not studying, I’m thinking about the fact that I should be studying.”

You frown slightly.

“That sounds miserable.”

“It kinda is sometimes,” she admits with another quiet laugh. “And everyone there is exhausted all the time too, so it’s hard not to feel guilty whenever I try to relax.”

She picks up her iced coffee and stares down into it for a second before speaking again.

“And clinicals are stressful because I care so much about doing everything right.” She shrugs slightly. “Like… these are actual people, you know? I don’t wanna mess up.”

────────────────────

You listened while Jane opened up about nursing school:

Relationship Status: +2%

Boyfriend Points Gained: +2

Letting Jane talk honestly about how overwhelmed and exhausted she’s been makes her feel emotionally safe around you. She doesn’t say it directly, but being able to relax and open up without feeling judged means more to her than she expected.

────────────────────