{Hello! Since I wrote these for class, some of these stories were given a prompt. This one's prompt was "that was the first time [they] knew"}

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"One large, iced caramel latte with almond milk, a pump of vanilla, and extra whipped cream for...Faye!" Kelly shouted to the bustling coffee shop. "Have a great day," she chirped as she handed the drink off and started on the next one. Just a few more hours and she could go home. She sighed silently, thinking about the same dull routine from the past two years that awaited. Wake up early, go to work, collect tips, save what she could, flop into bed late, and do it all over again. "One day, everything will change," she kept telling herself. "I'll finally leave and get my dream life."

It had been two years since Kelly moved here to start over, planning to get back on the road as soon as she could. Dropping out of college after a year to pursue a solo music career had backfired terribly, as her parents so often loved to remind her. She had ended up in this tiny little town with the promise of a contract, but that had led nowhere. It had been a total scam and she'd fallen for it. Her only hope now was to work as hard as possible and collect enough money to move somewhere else and try again. Spending all her money in the first place to promise her fame had not been her proudest moment.

Kelly pulled herself out of her memory when someone shouted for an Americano. As the day passed, she distracted herself preparing all the drink combinations people ordered, always delivering them with a smile. She greeted the regulars and chatted with them whenever she could.

When a group of older women came in, Kelly grinned. This was a group of five who came every day at the same time to order the same thing. Talking with them while she prepared their drinks always turned into the highlight of Kelly's day.

"Here you go, Kathy Anne. White chocolate mocha with one and a half creamers, one sugar packet, not too hot, but just warm enough, just how you like it." Kelly handed the last one off to her favorite of the group, Kathy Anne, while trying not to notice too much when she dropped a generous tip in her jar.

"Pretty soon you're gonna be makin' coffee for celebrities and you won't need this sleepy old town anymore," Kathy Anne grinned and joked as she took the cup. She took a sip as Kelly chuckled and wiped up a spill from the last customer. She paused and looked up when Kathy Anne put a hand on top of hers. "We'll miss you terribly," she smiled sadly and squeezed her hand once. "You've been such a blessing to this little town. Such a bright light and such a joy to have around. I hope your dreams are out there somewhere for you to catch." She turned away and was with her friends at their table before Kelly could respond.

Something in Kelly's chest started to twist. She gripped the towel tighter and scrubbed at the counter a little harder. She'd been looking forward to getting out of this backwater town for two years. Why should she feel so reluctant after only one comment about it? Even if Kathy Anne was one of the only people who knew her plan to leave as soon as she could afford it, it almost hurt to think about how hurt Kathy Anne would be without her. "No need to get so worked up about leaving when it could be that far away," she scoffed quietly at herself. She threw her towel in the dirty bin and started to get ready to go home.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of espresso beans, cinnamon, and accidentally misspelling people's names. The conversation with Kathy Anne played in her head over and over again as Kelly served the costumers that came in. Soon the sun was set and it was time to start locking up.

Kelly cleaned up, locked up, and left the shop. On the way home, she tried to convince herself of every reason to go through with her plan. They could find another waiter to take her spot after she was gone. They'll forget all about her once there was someone new and exciting to look forward to. Who remembers their barista anyway? She unlocked her door and tossed her bag on the table, then sat down and pulled out her laptop to upload her new paycheck to her bank account. After some calculations, her stomach dropped. She started to grin. Thanks to the last two weeks of above-average wages, she had just enough money to make her escape.

She opened the bookmarked tab on her browser and scrolled down, about to select the flight she wanted. Something stopped her and her fingers hovered above the enter key. She thought about the customers she served this week. Kathy Anne, so encouraging and supportive. The sweetest little girl in town, Evie, who got her first hot chocolate today. An energetic little boy, Carson, who proudly paid for his pastry with his very own allowance. Other faces of patrons flashed through her mind. Ones of patrons who greeted her by name and always wanted to know what was new and exciting in her life. Suddenly, another home didn't seem like the dream it had this morning.

Her elation started to wane as her eyes floated towards the corner of her computer screen, where an email popped up. She clicked on it. It was an ad for a year-long apartment lease that had recently opened up. Kelly hesitated for a second, thinking about the tickets and the lease. With a sigh and a surge of adrenaline, a tired smile appeared.

"Why not." She x-ed out the flight tickets and clicked the apartment lease. She thought about how happy everyone would be to see she was staying, and for the first time, it wasn't just a routine she went through. It was...

"Home," she grinned as that phrase rolled off her tongue so naturally. Things were finally clicking into place. She could feel everything settling into where it was supposed to be.

She was home, without a doubt.

That was the first time she knew.