Summary:

ACT I: BRUNO
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Cecilia tries to figure out what is going on with Bruno.

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The theme song for this chapter: Shooting Stars by Bag Raiders

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The night was in full swing when Bruno found himself in the same bar from yesterday. He wished he understood what was going on with him as he scanned the crowd, looking for that familiar face. Am I in love, or am I just trying to fill that emptiness that gnaws at me when I'm all by myself?

Damn it. He silently cussed, feeling stupid for being philosophical.

Bruno made his way to the counter and ordered himself a drink. The nagging feeling rattled in his chest and he just wanted the voice in his head to shut itself up. He would stay here all night if he had to.

The hours ticked by as people came and went. He quietly kept to himself, watching the dance floor, desperately waiting for a sign.

"Bruno."

In the end, she never showed up. Estúpido. He let her get away then. What if he never saw her again?

"Oye, Bruno."

Time skewed in all directions, space was relative, and fate was a myth. Or is it? There were six million, nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-eight other people in Bogotá, and he was just looking for the ONE. If it was not the definition of madness, who knew what else was. But Bruno couldn't let go of that night, of those curls and her smile and the way she danced in those blood-red, sky-high heels. Smitten, that's what he is. He wasn't going mad.

But what if he was?

What if he was chasing something impossible? He might be lusting after someone unattainable, like a married woman. It couldn't be because she's the one he wanted. BUT what if it wasn't meant to be? What if their encounter was a metaphor for his life slowly going down the drain, his dreams along with it? He was turning thirty in a few years. Maybe if he didn't keep messing things up, life would turn out differently for him. The buzz in his ears became a little bit too much and Bruno started mildly freaking out, and…

"BRUNO!"

Bruno jolted and almost dropped the cup he's holding in his hands. He shrinked when he saw Cecilia's furious expression. She was not much taller than him, but boy, did she look terrifying. Cecilia took the cup from his hands a little too forcefully, making poor Bruno squeak.

The poor customer waiting by the counter shifted their feet nervously as Cecilia handed them their drink. "I'm so sorry for the wait," Cecilia's voice went bubblegum sweet and it made Bruno sweat. He's going to get it. "Here is your order."

As soon as the transaction was completed, Cecilia turned to Bruno with an icy glare. "The back. Now." She hissed as she called over another barista. Bruno shuffled himself into the back room like a wounded puppy. "Manuel, can you take over for a bit?"

The room, despite being organized, felt smothering. Bruno stood amidst the stacks of inventory and waited nervously, his hands fidgeting with the edge of his apron. Cecilia entered a few moments later, rubbing her temples. Bruno flinched for a quick moment, expecting fury, but what he got instead was a defeated sigh. "Care to let me know what's going on with you today?" Cecilia motioned to him. "That was the third time I had to call your attention."

He avoided her gaze, knowing that he didn't have a good answer. "Lo siento, jefa. Nothing's going on," Bruno began, but Cecilia raised a hand to stop him.

"Bruno, I know I'm your boss, and spacing out at work should irk me, but instead, I am worried about you."She leaned against the door. "I'm not showing favoritism here, but you remind me of my brothers. I've seen how all of my siblings act out when something is bothering them, and you, my dear, tick all the boxes. So tell me, and don't dare to lie, what's going on with you today?"

Silence. "Look, I'm not going to dock your pay if that's what you're worried about…"

"No, Cecilia," Bruno slumped down on the sacks of coffee beans in the corner. "It's not that…it's…I'm…I don't know."

"You don't know?"

Cecilia's face softened when she saw how forlorn Bruno looked. Lost. The silence stretched on as he figured out what else to say.

An idea popped into Cecilia's head and she whipped her phone out. Her fingers swiftly moved across the screen, making light tapping noises. "Bruno, think you can hang on until closing time? I'll see if Tomás can make time today."

"What?" Bruno quickly pulled himself up. "Why would you be calling your esposo? Am I…?"

Cecilia threw her head back and laughed. "No, you're not fired. I'm inviting him here so we can have a little coffee tasting party at the shop, just the three of us."

"Why?"

"Well, just because. You look like someone in dire need of great coffee and good company. Drinking alcohol is fun and all, but a cup of café? It works wonders." She smiled down at the phone in her hand as she turned to go back out. "Anyway, think of it as…a friend wanting to help you sort out whatever is going on in your head. Let's get to the bottom of this later, Bruno, but for now, pull yourself together. You're still on shift."

A sweet aroma wafted from the cup Bruno was holding. He stared at the dark liquid, wondering if his boss and her husband were in their right minds, drinking coffee late at night. Then again, who was he to judge? He did the same thing back home and he turned out fine. Sort of.

They watched him as he took a sip, and Bruno was immediately hit with nostalgia like he had something like this before. The light flavor reminiscent of honey dances across his taste buds. Notes of hazelnut and dark chocolate tickle his nose.

"What type of coffee is this, Tomás?" Bruno asked the big man with a handlebar mustache sitting next to Cecilia. He was certain he had it before, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. "It tastes familiar to me."

Tomás sheepishly smiled as he swirled his cup. "I don't know why mi vida asked me to come over, but she picked a great time to do so. I love food, but I'm no expert when it comes to coffee. Since my work requires me to review products like these, I thought I'd let you try to get a second opinion. She always mentions how impressive your palette is. Anyway, that's the new blend released by Miraculo Tinto…I think it's a recreation of their original line before they expanded. Is it pretty good?"

Bruno almost spilled his coffee. No wonder why the taste kept transporting him back to his bedroom. It reminded him of the time the rains had just passed and his Papá gave him and his sisters a cup of coffee to warm themselves up.

He kept a neutral look the entire time, but inside Bruno was close to a meltdown. It finally all made sense why Pepa had been too busy to take any of their calls. She was recreating the last memory they all had of their Papá before…

"Hello, Earth to Bruno?" Cecilia waved a hand in front of his face and Bruno blinked. He had been blankly staring at nothing for more than a minute. "See, this is what I've been dealing with all day today, amor." She whispered to her husband. "He's been out of it. It's unlike him."

Tomás chuckled. "Ay, Cecil, maybe he's just taking in the coffee…?" He trailed off when Bruno suddenly interrupted. "Hey. Quick question, do you both believe in fate?"

Cecilia and Tomás stopped their conversation to look at Bruno as he began to ramble. "I've been thinking, what if everything I've been trying to build is for nothing? What if I'm destined to be like this, just mediocre? Time feels like it extends into infinity, but at the same time, it's contained within this moment. Fate seems too ridiculous to be true, because if it was real, then all of the hard work is for nothing if it's not in your cards in the first place."

The pair exchanged glances at each other. "Maybe I shouldn't have made the coffee too strong…" Tomás quickly took the cup away from Bruno's hands. He nodded at Cecilia who reached out to pat Bruno's knee. "Hey, you lost us," Her voice was soft. "Bruno. Is everything alright with you? You can tell us both. We won't judge."

Bruno didn't know anymore. The future held more secrets than memories at the edge of his dreams. Who knew he would be so broken like this over an encounter with someone he barely met?

Sometimes there was just no right answer.

Cecilia looked on worriedly when Bruno pressed a hand to his forehead. "No. No, Cecilia. Lo siento. I think I've lost it. I've completely lost it."

"Hey, hey," She clasped his hands. "It's okay. You're okay. Take it slow."

"It's not okay," Bruno furtively shook his head. "No, it's stupid, that's what it is. A blip." He frowned at the table in front of them, over the cups of coffee starting to get cold. "I've been thinking so much about the future, Cecilia, and it's terrifying me. I…I don't have the answers."

Tomás lightly drummed his fingers to catch their attention. "Sounds like you're having a little crisis." He rolled his eyes at his wife. "I kind of get now why you called for me, and it's not exactly just the coffee."

"Happy accident." Cecilia shrugged. "You've been meaning to get Bruno's opinion on the coffee, anyway. It presented itself as a perfect opportunity, and I took it. Simple as that."

"Ah, such is true," Tomás' eyes have a gleam in them that Bruno couldn't quite place. "But it's not about us today, mi vida, it's about Bruno." He gave Bruno a knowing look. "What about the future has got you worked up, hombre?"

A part of Bruno wanted to stay silent, afraid that if he admitted the truth, his fears would come true. Some strange feeling nagged at him, maybe it's the coffee, or maybe it has something to do with the man across from him patiently waiting for an answer. He ended up blurting it out. "I…I guess…I'm worried that I would just end up all alone, no matter how hard I try. Me moving here to pursue my dreams, being so far away from home…only to fail. I'm terrified because up until a few days ago I was so sure of myself, but I've fallen in love with someone, and I don't know who they are. I find myself…stranded in between fiction and reality. I just…I just don't know how that could happen when I don't even know her name."

A surprised gasp came out of Cecilia. Wow, I didn't expect that. "Wait, what?" She leaned forward, her eyes wide with curiosity. "When did this happen?"

Cars rushed on by as the sparkling city lighted up like flares across the dark sky. Everything was, and has always been connected, like dominoes stacked and a single push bringing forth a chain. From up close, it may look like a disaster, but from afar, a beautiful picture. The lives they lead were different like night and day, but even in passing, ever fleeting, they were two halves of the same whole, even if one of them didn't know it just yet.

Somewhere out there as Bruno recounted the story in a near-empty cafe, she found herself alone, swearing her heart out, hoping for a change.

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Glossary of terms (in order of appearance in-text):
Estúpido - Stupid/Idiot
Jefa - Boss (feminine)
Hombre - Man