I turned right as I exited through the door. My hands grasped firmly at the warm cup between my fingers. I strutted down the pavement while thoughts turned over in my head. I didn’t clearly understand why I had an about face sitting across from him, initially resenting his demeanor and the awkward cadence of his voice and then simply putting a stop to it. What was the turning point? Did it matter?

I turned east down at the end of the block and walked till I reached the park. Spotting an empty bench, I sat down and cradled the cup in my lap. I looked down at the plastic cover then closed my eyes.

I tilted my head back and when I opened my eyes again, he was there, standing next to a tree in the distance, staring at me. I immediately started to worry. Was he following me? With his eyes, he tore holes into me. If he was trying to intimidate me, it was certainly working. For the moment.

But then, I laid my coffee on the bench, stood up and walked straight toward him, my stride unbroken.