Leaving Everything Be
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the tiny café every morning.
For most people, it was a place of warmth, comfort, and conversation.
For Eve, it was simply another day of survival.
At thirty-four years old, Eve had spent almost ten years building Eve’s Corner, a small coffee shop tucked away in a quiet town. She baked her own cakes before sunrise, served coffee with a gentle smile, and remembered every regular customer’s favorite drink.
People often told her, “You’re lucky to own your own café.”
They never knew the truth.
Every ring of the cash register meant another bill to pay. Every profit she earned disappeared before she could enjoy it.
Her parents depended entirely on her.
Her younger brother frequently asked for money.
Her older sister only contacted her when she needed financial help.
Whenever Eve tried to save money for herself, another family emergency appeared.
“Eve, can you send me some money? Your father needs medicine.”
“Eve, your nephew’s school fees are due.”
“Eve, we know you’re doing well with your café.”
Doing well.
She almost laughed every time she heard those words.
No one asked whether she was tired.
No one asked whether she had eaten.
No one noticed that the owner of the coffee shop couldn’t even remember the last time she bought something for herself.
One rainy evening, after closing the café, Eve sat alone by the window.
She stared at the empty chairs.
“I’ve spent my whole life living for everyone else,” she whispered.
“But who will live for me?”
That night, she made the hardest decision of her life.
She would sell the café.
She would leave her hometown.
She would start over somewhere no one knew her.
Somewhere she could finally breathe.
Three months later, carrying only two suitcases and a heart full of uncertainty, Eve landed in Norway.
The cold northern air greeted her like a new beginning.
The mountains stood proudly in the distance, the streets were quiet, and strangers smiled politely as they passed.
Everything felt unfamiliar.
Everything felt peaceful.
Finding work wasn’t easy, but after several interviews, Eve was hired as a barista at a cozy café in the city.
The owner was kind, her coworkers were patient, and for the first time in years, nobody asked her for money.
Life slowly became simpler.
Until one customer appeared.
Every weekday, around eleven in the morning, a tall man entered the café wearing a dark wool coat.
He never smiled.
He never chatted.
He simply walked to the counter and ordered the strangest coffee Eve had ever heard.
“Double espresso.”
“Six shots of caramel syrup.”
“Three teaspoons of salt.”
“No sugar.”
“Extra hot.”
Eve blinked.
“Excuse me… are you serious?”
The man nodded without changing his expression.
“Very.”
She prepared the drink exactly as requested.
The moment she tasted a tiny drop left on the spoon, she nearly spat it out.
“Who drinks something this terrible?” she muttered.
The man took one sip.
A satisfied expression crossed his face.
“Perfect.”
Eve could only stare.
That was the first time she met the mysterious customer.
His name was Andre Larsen.
Half Norwegian.
Half Latin.
Owner of one of the city’s most successful restaurants.
Neither of them knew that one bizarre cup of coffee would quietly begin changing both of their lives.
