Character based short story

Finding Love

By Erica Welch

The sun was shinning bright and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was a beautiful day out, not to hot and not to cold. I was waiting for a long time friend to meet me for our normal morning coffee at Starbucks. We had been friends for a little over ten years. We went to the same middle school and high school. We played varsity sports together through high school. She graduated a year ahead of me and we lost touch for a few years. We ended up going to the same college. First year we still didn’t get to hang out a lot because of our drastically different schedules. But we were the type of friends that months could go by with out us talking and when we talked again it was like we had just talked yesterday. We just picked up where we left off. During Shaza’s last semester of college we decided to get an apartment together. We lived together the next two years. She graduated from college the previous year and now had a full time job. Her job transferred her to the Southside of town. Because of the transfer she moved into an apartment on the other side to be closer and I stayed on the North side since it was close to my college and job. We were both sad to not share a place anymore. To ensure that we would still keep in contact even with our busy schedules we vowed to meet for coffee once a week. I was still finishing school and waitressing at night. Amidst both our busy schedules we managed to meet once a week. This was great because it gave us time to catch up with one another.

I was sitting outside at the Starbucks table sipping on my Caramel Macchiato. I saw Shaza walking from a distance. I waved to get her attention. She was running late as usual. She always seemed to be running late. Shaza had a very strong personality. Her presence was known in a room. Very loud and outgoing, she was not afraid to express what was on her mind to anyone. She was also very expressive with her emotions.

“Hi, good morning. How are you doing?” I said.

“Great, running late as usual.” She said with a laugh. “I’m going to order me a coffee.”

She put her stuff down and went to get in line. I sat there, looked around and observed the people around me. There was an elderly couple sitting together sipping on their hot coffee they would glance at each other and just smile. She would occasionally reach over and caress his hand. They are still in love I said to myself you could tell just by their expressions. Over to my left looked to be a middle-aged woman who had out her computer and was working diligently.

Shaza came back and sat down “Oh I’m never going to get married.” I knew her to be dramatic. But I asked, “What makes you say that?” “I’m going on 25 and I don’t even have a serious boyfriend” she replies.

“Your still young, you have plenty of time for marriage” I replied.

“Yes but I want a husband now! Ohh…I just want to find love. Do you think love just happens or do you have to find love?”

Before I could even give an answer or express a thought. She continued with “I want someone to be able to do the handy work around the house, you know do all that stuff a guy is suppose to do and I want to be a mom! So do you think you have to go out and find love and make it happen or does it just happen?”

I paused for a minute waiting to see if she was going to continue with questions. She was a very talkative person and known to just continue talking before anyone could answer a question. She didn’t say anything more. I thought about it. I realized I haven’t given much thought to “finding love” or even consider trying to pursue marriage. I was still in school, and would soon be moving to another location for graduate school. I was very career focused and did not leave much time for socializing and definitely didn’t leave any open possibilities for a relationship. I always thought a relationship would get me sidetracked from pursing my education. Finding Love definitely wasn’t my subject of expertise.

“Well…” I began to answer then I looked around at the different characteristics of couples around us. I glanced over at the elderly couple her were obviously still crazy in love with each other. Then there was the middle-aged couple that didn’t look happy. He was sitting there reading his paper and she was on her computer. They had seemed to be arguing about something when they walked in and since they sat down they hadn’t said a word to each other. Then there was the woman who seemed to be in her younger thirties. She was thin with long blond hair and pretty bright blue eyes. She didn’t have a wedding ring on. She sat there typing away on her computer with her brief case opened besides her. She had two cell phones sitting out on the table that hadn’t stopped going off since she sat down. Then there was the young couple, in their mid twenties, sitting behind us who couldn’t seem to get close enough to each other. They hadn’t taken their eyes off each other since they got there.

“I think when the time is right Love will happen.” I replied.

“Well I’m ready, so I’m ready to find love” Shaza replied with a smile. “I’m just ready to start my family. I know I’m picky, but why can’t my perfect guy just come across my path? Maybe I’m to picky…”

Shaza was a beautiful young woman. She had dark brown hair, dark brown eyes and a tan complexion. One thing she did know is what she wanted in a husband. But she wasn’t a very patient person.

“Don’t worry about ‘finding love’ it will happen when the time is right. You could always just focus on your career for now“ I replied.

“No I don’t want to be 30 and still unmarried and all I would have is my career” as she looks over at the woman with the two phones, computer, and briefcase out full of papers.

In that moment I wondered if that was going to be me in 8 years.

I Look at that old couple they are so in love. I know that’s how I want to be when I’m old, I though to myself.

“Do you think that young couple behind us has hope are they going to end up like that old couple or like that middle aged couple who still hadn’t spoken to each other.” I asked Shaza.

“Ohh they look so in love to. Of course they are going to stay that way forever.”

Sometimes I felt she always had such an unrealistic perspective on things. But she had such an optimistic perspective.

“Oh my gosh look at the time. I better be on my way.”

“Yes, me to!” I replied looking at the time.

“It was great talking. We will have to continue next time.” Shaza gathered her things. “I will see you next week. Same time and place?”

“Of course” I said with a smile.

“Great! You have a great day.” She said as she is walking off to her car.

“Bye”

On my way out, I couldn’t help but wonder was I going to be like that single woman engrossed in her career and single at 35. Or was love going to come find me and sweep me away. I always figured when the time was right love would just find me and it would happen, I didn’t need to take time to slow down and pursue love.

I went back to school, work, and my busy schedule. Another week went quickly by. It was already Monday again and I pulled up to Starbucks to meet Shaza for our weekly coffee. I was expecting to go find a table and wait for Shaza to arrive as normal. But as I got closer I saw her waving. She already had a seat. I was surprised she was normally late.

“Hey! Good morning. How are you?” She asked eagerly. ‘”Oh I already got you a coffee. A caramel macchiato.”

“Perfect, my favorite. Thank you” I replied.

“Oh I know” she said with a smile.

“So how was your week?” I asked.

“Oh it was great! I met somebody!”

“Wow really! So tell me about him…”

She began to tell me all about him and how they met. We then both realized the time and said our goodbyes and said until next week. Each week she would proceed in telling me all about her new relationship and how it was developing. It wasn’t to long after that they proceeded to a serious relationship. Then by the fifth week she said she thought they were getting serious. And she would tell me about how so in love they were. No more than four months had went by and she was talking about him possibly being “the one”. I was excited for her but also personally thought it was to soon to know something like that. By six months she was engaged. I knew she was happy and he made her happy. I had graduated and was now preparing for graduate school. In seeing one of my closest friends “find love” I couldn’t help but think about my personal love life.

I couldn’t help but think about that conversation we had at Starbucks six months prior. Does love just happen or does it have to be an effort? Did love just come across her path or because she wanted to find it did she subconsciously make the effort and pursue to find love?