The paper in my hand seemed heavy.

My trembling hands couldn't hold it right and my labored breath rushed through the words in it on repeat. Hell, even my legs failed me as I leaned against the display counter.

After that huge success of a party last week, we were getting one or two customers on top a day. The mid-morning rush today was over when this mail came through our cafe doors.

Laura and Lui hadn't spoken a word about the contract yet. We were long overdue our deadline and still we were here. Devon had been calling me for the past few days.

At first, I thought Laura and Lui called us out to him. But it was the pressure of grand launching that reminded him of me, and of course, the proverbial dirt on Sawyer.

Even now my phone was chiming with back to back messages from you-know-who. But I couldn't bother with him right now. Not after living in this constant torture of dilemma and fear—not for the contract, but this cafe.

I had come to care deeply for this place as well as its people in the last few weeks and right now, its future sat right in my hand.

The food inspection report.

My voice shook as a thick lump formed in my throat. My heart thrashed against my ribcage while I closed my eyes and tried to even my breaths. In and out. In and out. Slowly. Very slowly.

I opened my blurry gaze and sniffed before dropping the paper on the display counter and pulled out my phone and opened our group chat.

It was something we had created before the party night—for convenient communication as we had been busy with the event preparation.

The last chat bubbles showed us all giving thumbs up to each other, even Lui, before going to sleep for the next big day.

I licked my lips and typed.

Me: Hey, so the inspection reports came. It's a positive.

Laura: Oh God!

Lui: When did it arrive?

Sawyer: Good positive or bad?

I gulped and ran my fingers over the keyboard.

Me: Just now. Good.

Lui's bubble popped up and disappeared and popped up once again.

Lui: For real?

I nodded even though they couldn't see me.

Me: For real. They approved us.

Laura: I'm coming.

Sawyer: Me too.

I sent them a thumbs-up and put the phone down.

"Hey, Freddy! I got some news." I turned back and hollered, my giddy feet already taking me to the kitchen.

An hour and a half later, Sawyer and Laura rushed through the door. Bags labeled K-mart adorning both of their hands. They had run out of some supplies last night so the impromptu grocery shopping.

Lui arrived five minutes later. Laura was skimming through the report when she looked up and frowned.

"Thought I told you to rest?"

"I'm fine." his groggy voice rasped as he sniffed his red nose.

"You got sinus problem, bro, and that cold—"

"Here lemme see." He snatched the paper from his glaring sister and thoroughly ignored her.

Laura huffed and crossed her arms.

Sawyer stood beside Freddy. They typed something on their phones every so often and showed each other.

I was back on my laptop, composing a glowing post about the inspection report on our social media sites. This was bound to generate enough response from our followers, at least, that was what I hoped. Because if this didn't work out, we'd be truly out of options and there'd be no saving Cafe de la Winters.

No. I wouldn't think like that. It would be all good. Yes.

With that thought, I focused on typing.

"This is good news," Lui hummed. "We should announce it on our website and social sites."

"Already done," I said, clicking the post icons on multiple social media tabs in my browser and moving on to our website blog next.

"Our cafe will be saved, Lui!" Laura's voice wobbled as she laughed and hugged her stiff brother.

"Laura, I'm sick. You'll get cold." He tried to push her away, worry creasing his brows.

"You're fine," she tightened her hold on him. "We're fine."

Lui sighed and gently rested his hands on her back, pulling her closer.

Sawyer and Freddy grinned and first bumped each other, stepping away when our two royal highness Machu and Pichu sauntered past their legs, joining in the celebration.

I realized something at the moment as looked at the scene.

These guys didn't know whether this report could really save the day or not. They had no idea what the cafe's future held. And yet, they were reveling in the joy of small wins. Well, that was how we should admire our life, right? Gathering the pleasure of sea shells by the shore before admiring the ocean made the experience a lot more wholesome. It was always the little joys that mattered the most.

My eyes fell on Sawyer at that moment who was already looking at me.

His lips formed a rare soft smile. His honey-gold eyes offered a blink even softer and I knew. I knew he had been thinking the same as me.

'Thank you.' he mouthed and I smiled back with a wink.

There. My Sawyer's smirk was back.

***

It was Saturday, two days after that report came, when I was walking through the cafe door and froze.

My feet stuck on the threshold, hand gripped the metal knob hard as I took in the crowd. A real crowd, full to the brim, was filling every available corner of the dining area.

Laura was working with swift hands on the counter. Lui and Sawyer were serving with two other waiters I was sure were here on short notice. Freddy was nowhere to be seen, must have been sweating in the kitchen. And our diva duo were moving under the tables, collecting as many strokes and brushes as they could from the cooing patrons, and offering purrs to only those who satisfied them the most.

"Ahem, miss. You're blocking the road."

I jumped at the voice of a man as he slipped inside faster, mumbling a faint sorry.

I walked to the counter and Laura greeted me with a quick smile.

"Hey, Mira." She handed a change to a woman holding a white cup and a pinstriped red box with the cafe logo.

"Need any help?" I asked, slipping behind the counter already.

"You're a dear!"

I laughed and moved to the display counter where a middle-aged couple were eyeing the chocolate brownies.

The day went on with a never-ending rush. Well, it slowed down a bit during the lunch, but the traffic picked up right back at the afternoon four o'clock and continued right until the evening.

My feet ached from standing for hours even though we had breaks two times. But the onslaught of customers coming in and out after days of silence had me pull through with a smile. This was what we wanted, wasn't it? The success of our cafe.

"Great job, guys," Lui said after the last of the patrons left at nine.

Even the grump personified was glowing brighter today. The hint of a smile was always present throughout the day, and he didn't even bash Hunters for once which was okay because he hadn't had the time while waiting customers left and right.

Freddy walked out of the kitchen with a tired grin and blinked at me. His fingers were already moving over the phone in his hand.

My phone pinged with a text. I pulled it out of my jean pocket and looked down.

'Thank you, Mira. Both you and Sawyer."

'Why? It was all of us.' I typed back and sent it.

He nudged my left shoulder and typed. I looked over his arm for a peak.

"Nope. It was you guys. If you hadn't brought Machu Pichu and Sawyer never found Mrs. Belle and Aidan, none of this would have happened.'

I shook my head and typed. 'Well, there was the squeaky clean cafe setup and some amazing people (namely you) behind it who had this all ready for the go. We just added things to help. This cafe was bound to get back on its feet, Freddy, with or without our help.'

He offered a light scoff after reading my text and tapped his fingers furiously on the screen.

"Well, I'm not taking back my words so kindly take the compliment, Miss. And don't drop it on the way to New York, okay?'

And my smile dropped.

New York. Trexon Empire. Yeah. I almost forgot we'd have to leave.

I turned my head to find Sawyer who was chatting with Laura and Lui as they proceeded to close up for the day.

"I'm gonna miss this," I mumbled.

Freddy's warm arm wrapped around me in a side hug, as though saying the words right back, only through his body.

Damn, why my throat was clogging up this badly?