The coffee shop bustled with weekend patrons. Natalia spotted Emi immediately—her vibrant blue hair styled in that signature look with the two strands sticking up like antennae made her impossible to miss. Emi waved with unbridled enthusiasm when she caught sight of Natalia, her entire face illuminating with genuine joy.
How can someone be so sincerely happy to see another person? Natalia wondered. It was a quality she'd always found both mildly irritating and strangely comforting about Emi.
"Nat! Over here!" Emi called out, as if her enthusiastic waving hadn't already made her location abundantly clear. "I already got you your usual! Triple shot latte with almond milk, right?"
Natalia slid into the chair opposite her friend, managing a smile despite the knot of nerves in her stomach. "Thanks, Emi. That's perfect."
