Flashback.
The town was small enough that everyone knew your name, but too small to hold the kind of dreams James dan Daisy carried.
Back then, their lives moved at a slow, steady rhythm.
Mornings filled with the rich scent of fresh coffee steaming from the shop where James worked, afternoons drenched in golden sunlight that spilled through cracked windows, and nights that belonged only to them.
They didn't have much, but they had each other, and in those days, that felt like everything.
James's shift ended as the sun dipped low, painting the sky in fiery shades of orange and purple. He wiped his hands on his stained apron, pushed open the café door, and stepped out into the crisp evening air that smelled faintly of damp earth and blooming jasmine.
Across the street, Daisy locked up the diner, her hair rebelliously escaping her messy bun like a wild halo. When their eyes met, a tired but genuine smile bloomed on her lips soft and familiar, a small island of warmth in the fading day.
"Late again," she teased softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face as he crossed the street toward her.
"Barely," James replied, his grin teasing back. "The coffee machine fought me hard today."
"You always win in the end," she said, linking her arm through his as they began walking home under the pastel sky.
Their favorite spot was the old park bench beneath a flickering street lamp. The paint peeled like forgotten memories, and the cold metal beneath their touch was a reminder of how fragile their world was.
There, in that little patch of quiet, they shared everything: hopes too big for the cracked sidewalks, fears whispered like secrets, and dreams bright enough to chase the dark away.
"One day," Daisy whispered, tracing the lines on his palm with a careful finger, "we'll be in a city. A big city. You'll have your own business, and I... I'll have a place filled with flowers."
James squeezed her hand gently, smiling at the certainty in her voice. "No more counting pennies for rent. No more instant noodles for dinner because we're broke again."
Daisy laughed, the sound soft and free, like the breeze that rustled the dry leaves. "Or pretending we don't notice the cold just to save money on heating."
James kicked a pebble with the toe of his worn-out shoe and glanced at her, eyes sparkling. "Remember the first time I tried making coffee at the café? I almost flooded the whole place."
She laughed, a bright sound that lit up the dim park. "Oh my God, yes. You looked like you were fighting an angry sea monster."
"I was," James grinned. "That damn machine just wouldn't cooperate."
She nudged him playfully. "But you didn't give up. That's why I liked you. You're stubborn in a good way."
He caught her eyes and smiled softly. "Stubborn enough to make it out of this town."
Daisy's smile faltered just a little as she looked away, tracing random patterns on the chipped bench with her fingertip. "Sometimes I wonder if we're dreaming too big."
James shook his head firmly, voice steady. "No way. You and me? We're meant for more than this."
Daisy sighed, the weight in her breath settling between them like an unspoken worry. "I want to believe that, Jammy. But nights like these..." She paused, biting her lip. "They make me scared."
"Scared of what?" James asked gently, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"Scared we'll never actually get there. That maybe this small town will swallow us whole, and we'll be stuck in the same place forever."
James reached out and took her hand in his. "Hey, listen. We've got each other, right? That's already a start."
She smiled faintly, leaning into his touch like it was a lifeline. "Yeah. Together."
For a moment, silence wrapped around them like a warm blanket, a silence so comfortable it didn't need to be broken by words.
Then Daisy shifted, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything," James replied, heart quickening.
"Do you ever think about... giving up?"
James blinked, surprised by the question. "Giving up? No way. Not you."
"I'm not talking about me." She looked away again, eyes clouded with something he couldn't quite reach. "You. With all this... pressure. You work so hard. Sometimes I see it wearing you down."
He laughed softly, but there was a flicker of unease in his chest. "Pressure's part of the deal. You think I'm scared? I'm scared of failing you."
"Jammy," she said firmly, turning back to meet his eyes, "you don't have to carry it all alone."
He nodded slowly, staring out at the empty streets bathed in twilight. "I know. We're in this together, Daisy. Whatever comes, we face it side by side."
Daisy reached out and grabbed his hand tightly, her grip warm and steady. "We're strong together."
He squeezed back, grateful beyond words for her presence beside him. "Promise me something?"
"What?"
"That no matter what happens... we don't lose this."
"This?" She gestured between them, the space where their hands were still entwined. "This feeling? The hope?"
James nodded, eyes shining with fierce determination. "Yeah. No matter how dark it gets."
Daisy smiled, but there was a glint of sadness in her eyes, a shadow lurking just beneath the surface. "I promise."
On weekends, James would sneak into the diner just before closing with a paper bag of day-old pastries from the café. Daisy would slide into the booth across from him, still in her apron, and they'd split the pastries while planning their escape from the town that had tried to keep them small.
They had nothing no money, no guarantees but they had built their own little world. And in that fragile bubble of laughter, whispered dreams, and cheap coffee, James believed they were unbreakable.