It took a few weeks before we started talking. Ziad would sit on one end, and I would be on the other. Whoever shows up earlier on a given morning takes dibs. I’m unsure how we started; I like where we are today. Some souls come in and embrace you. Some stay; some dwindle, leaving smiles behind.

Raising a child was more difficult than Corinne imagined. Especially the way she goes about it and how involved she gets. She started working right after college. Then, she decided to become a full-time mom as soon as she got pregnant and for the first three years of her daughter’s life.

From where I was sitting, I saw this person immersed and taking notes on his iPad, highlighting in yellow and underlining. I’ve been eyeing the iPad for a while, deciding whether to get one. I ask: “Is this the 11” or 12.9"?” He looks up, takes a second, and puts on the biggest smile. I recognized him.

She’d walk in, order her coffee, head to her usual seat, open her choice of the book of the week, and read away. Two to three hours later, she’s still at it. Earbuds in. Sometimes not. She comes across as fresh, quiet, introverted, and a deep thinker.