The envelope for the day arrived at the house early that morning.  Ms. Star dropped it off on her way to the office.  She was in a chipper mood as she greeted Maye with a hug and a kiss on the cheek before leaving in a pink Cadillac.  Maye sat on the chair in the living room, staring at the envelope for much longer than usual.  For some reason, today, she wasn't as excited as before. The events over the past few days had her very confused.  From bumping into Ethan daily to dealing with Sean and not hearing from him to finding out, she was about to be a bakery owner.   She was a bit overwhelmed and hoped this day would be a standard requirement.

          She tore open the envelope slower than usual and stared at the page...

                 "Coffee warms the soul; music warms the heart."

        She entered the kitchen, where an old single-cup coffee maker sat beside a very old cassette radio player.  She lifted the radio and found nothing.  Moving her eyes to the coffee maker, she lifted the base and found the letter.  She walked over to the breakfast bar and sat down to read.

"My sweet Maye,

           I'm sure yesterday was a bit overwhelming for you.  I will assume you learned about the bakery and my business with Ethan.  The bakery is yours if you choose to keep it at the end of the thirty days. Ethan is prepared to take ownership if you choose to forfeit the bakery.  He has helped me a lot over the past few years; he is a good man.  I'm sure he has made you feel welcome here in Nearpoint.  If these letters have started on the correct day of the week, then today should be a Friday.  You will find a small brick coffee shop at the corner of Main and Weston.  On Fridays, they do an open mic night.  I would like you to grab a cup of coffee and listen to the local musicians.  You may be surprised at the inspiration you can gain from a well wrote song.  Have a cup of java for me. Love you.

                                                                                                                           Grandma"

      "Thank goodness," Maye thought as she finished reading the letter. She could use a night of calm music and coffee.  She took out her cell and searched the web for what time the shows started. 

         With plenty of days to finish a few things, she decided to take care of laundry and unpacking.  Once done, she grabbed her phone and searched for Sean's name.

     "Hey, baby!" Sean sounded excited; he answered the phone fairly quickly.

     Maye felt some relief in her chest, "hey, how is it going?"

     "It's going well. I think I almost have the offer sold to the CEOs.  So, hoping to be home in a couple of weeks." She could hear him smiling through the phone.

      "That's great." She tried to sound excited for him.

    All of a sudden, she heard the woman's voice again. "Sean, hurry up in there, or we will be late."

    "Who is that?" Maye asked.

   "No one, just a coworker," Sean responded, his voice giving away a hint of worry.

   "Sean, who are you talking to?" She spoke again.  Maye suddenly realized what was going on.  She was good at putting herself in others' shoes but also really good at sniffing out a lie.

   "Sean..." She spoke his name softly yet sternly.  Almost as if she was asking a question he should know.

   "Listen, can we talk about this later? Now's not a good time; I have to be at the office in a few minutes." He was now speaking to Maye as if she was a client.

    Instead of listening anymore, Maye hung up the phone as sassy as possible.  At that moment, she wished she had an old house phone that she could have slammed in his ear.  She sat there staring at the cell in her hands.  She knew Sean and her relationship wasn't perfect. However, she had no idea he would spend time with other women.  Once again, her day was set into a different motion. "Why was this happening all at once?"   She sat there for a long time, staring out the window at the sea.   The ocean was calmer than it had been in days.  She felt the urge to sit in the sand and take a moment to herself.  However, looking at the clock, she only had an hour to get ready and make it to the coffee shop in time for the beginning of the open mic.  She stood up, brushed off all her anxiety, and went to the bedroom to get dressed.

    Soft music filled the air, and the lighting gave the room a golden ambient look.  "This place is amazing."  She thought to herself as she sat at the bar to order her coffee.  Maye had her hair braided to the side and was wearing a blue dress.  She grabbed her coffee and sat at one of the tables in the middle of the room.  She felt a hand touch her shoulder gently; turning around, she saw Kiesha and Damien smiling at her.

     "Hey, girl!" Kiesha leaned down to give her a big hug. She was gorgeous in a bright yellow shirt, dark skinny jeans, and heels.  "Mind if we join you?" She points to the empty chairs opposite Maye.

   "Of course not, have a seat." She smiled at them as Damien pulled out Kiesha's chair for her. 

    "So, Ms. Maye, what brings you here? Another requirement, or are you out looking for fun?" Kiesha asked while sipping her coffee, eyeing Maye from across the table.

     "Oh, you know. Wanted a caffeine buzz before bedtime." Maye lifted her coffee as if to toast to staying up all night.

    Kiesha laughed at Maye, elbowing her softly, and said, "Well, welcome to the Java Mic. We come here on Fridays to enjoy some live music.  Jay's at his father's on Fridays. So perfect time for a little outing with some friends." She leaned into Damien and smiled sweetly at him.

    The mic hissed as a tall man with glasses and a blue button-up walked out onto the stage. "Good evening, everyone! Thank you for coming out and showing support for your local artists. We will get started with our first performer Lily Taylor. Don't forget to tip your servers and grab a drink from the bar. Thank you, enjoy." He passed the mic to an older gray-haired lady, who sat on a chair in the middle of the small wood floor stage.  She began snapping her fingers and reciting poetry about the forest.

    "This stuff always confuses me. I can never understand what they are talking about." Damien wrinkled his brows as he watched the woman snapping her fingers in rhythm with her words.

     "She is talking about the woods, the grass, the sunlight, and the feeling of being connected to more than just average day things," Maye said softly as she stared at the stage, lost in thought. "It's lovely." Kiesha smiled at her, then turned to look back at the stage.

        A couple more artists entered and left the stage.  More snapping poets and drum players and a few guitar players here and there.  One very loud trumpet, played by a middle school boy in overalls.  Maye, Damien, and Kiesha talked and laughed, enjoying each other's company. They had stopped listening to the performers and were lost in conversation.  Maye was telling them about her home in Connecticut when she heard a deep soft male voice come over the speakers.  She turned to look who was singing so beautifully—a song about a man's love for a woman and her love for the sea. 

      Ethan sat in the chair before the mic stand, guitar in his lap. He was strumming and singing a song that had everyone in the shop silently watching and listening.  She studied him; he was lost in the music and the words.  A green V-neck shirt and dark blue jeans, his hair swept to the side, and his eyes closed as he let the music wash over him like the waves. 

     Kiesha looked at Maye and smiled, watching Maye lost in what Ethan was singing.  Damien stared at the stage, grinning softly, listening to his friend play.  The song ended, but it took Ethan a few seconds to release the feelings and return to reality.  He looked up from his guitar and smiled at the crowd as they softly clapped for him.  His eyes glanced over the tables and people in the shop when they fell on Maye.  They sat there staring at each other for what felt like an eternity.  Damien interrupted them by standing up and shouting, "That's my friend!".  Ethan laughed as he stood up from the chair. Maye smiled, shaking her head, bringing herself out of the moment.

    A few minutes passed, and Ethan walked over and joined the group at the table.  "They have some great artists here tonight. Huh?" He smiled as he sat his cup down on the round wood table. "How's everyone doing?" He took a small sip of his drink.

   "Great, I'm not in that hot booth today," Damien smirked sarcastically, wiping the imaginary sweat from his forehead. The group laughed at his actions, and Kiesha fanned him.

   "I'm good.  Insurance has approved Jay's hearing aids.  So, we are extremely hopeful they work, and my little man will be able to hear soon." She smiled brightly.

   "Oh, wow, Kiesha, that is amazing!" Maye's eyes lit up as she looked at her new friend, who was still thinking of the moment she could hear her son speak.

   "That's great news!" Ethan clapped his hands together, showing his excitement.

    The group continued to chat and listen to the other acts until the last performance ended.  Ethan and Maye followed Kiesha and Damien out the double doors onto the sidewalk.

     "Well, I had a lovely evening, but I think Damien and I are going to head home.  Maye, call me, and let's get together for coffee on Monday." She grabbed Damien by the arm and began walking home.  They were headed in a different direction, heading towards Damien's house.  Ethan stood by Maye with his hands in his pockets, looking down at his feet. 

    "Did you drive tonight?" He asked.

    "No, I decided to walk.  It's very nice out." She looked up at the night sky, searching for stars that could not be seen due to the streetlights.

   "Yea, me too. Um... Mind if I walk you home?" He smiled at her, tilting his head toward their houses.

    "Sure." She looked at him softly and fought the butterflies that started attacking her stomach.

   While walking past the parking lot, Ethan clicked a button in his pocket, and Maye heard a vehicle beep.  Headlights flashed brightly at them. She turned to look and saw Ethan's car in the parking lot, tucked away in the back.  He laughed and shook his head. "I was hoping you wouldn't see that."

     The butterflies were in full force as she walked beside him; she could feel the tension between the two.

        They made it to Mayes house; Ethan took her arm to walk her across the sand to the back door.  They were reaching it with a few stumbles, which caused Maye to remove her shoes.  They both stood for a moment in silence, the ocean was still calm, and the small waves whispered into their ears.

     "Thank you for walking me home." She said as she searched for the keys in her purse.

      "Anytime." He rocked back and forth from heels to toes, hands in his pockets and nervousness trying to hide on his face.

     She stopped looking for the keys when she noticed what he was doing. "Are you okay?" she asked with a very concerned tone.

   "Oh yea, just a little chilly." He rubbed his bare arms to show how cold he was.

   She watched him for a moment before speaking. "That song you sang tonight, did you write it?" She squinted her eyes at him, looking at the details of his face.

   "Yea, it's one that I've been tweaking for some time now.  I just recently got the inspiration to finish it." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

    "It was beautiful. I didn't know you could sing so well." She paused for a moment, reliving the song in her mind.  "What helped you get the inspiration to finish it?" She looked up at him, the moonlight dancing on her face.

    Ethan stopped rubbing his neck and put his hands back in his pockets.  He looked her in the eyes before he said, "You."

   Maye's eyes grew wide; she could tell he was nervous to tell her that.  However, his eyes didn't leave hers.  Impulse hit her faster than she could think.  Before she knew it, she was in his arms, kissing him deeply.  His hands wrapped around her waist, and her hands on his chest.

        She stepped back from him when she finally realized what she had done.  His arms still stretched out, holding the air where she stood. Finally, he let them fall to his side, realizing what happened.  "I'm sorry... I.. " Ethan started to panic, wondering if he had just overstepped a boundary and kissed her without her permission. He did not realize that she had moved in for the kiss.

    Maye smiled at him. "It was my fault. Don't apologize. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. Perhaps it was the night and the music and the moment." She rambled on about a reason why she just kissed him.  Her head moved left and right with every word. Ethan couldn't help but smile at her, watching her talk with her hands.

    "Maye, it's okay.  Maybe we were just caught up in the moment.  It's okay." He leaned in a little bit and looked up at her, whispering. "I won't tell" Then he winked at her before standing straight up.

     This made her heart skip, and the butterflies resurface. She regained some composure before speaking again. "Thanks again, Ethan." She grabbed her keys and unlocked the door. "Goodnight," She whispered from the shadows.  All he could see was her silhouette and blue eyes.

  Ethan looked back at her. "Goodnight," he whispered.  Not removing his gaze from her eyes till the door was fully closed.  Still staring at the yellow door, lost in thoughts.

   Once Maye shut the door, she rushed to the curtains and peeked out.  She watched Ethan dance and skip back to his house in the moonlight.  Maye laughed, then quickly covered her mouth to keep him from hearing her.

   Just as she revisited the moment, her phone began ringing inside her purse.

    Sean