THE MOMENT
Wendell stood outside the coffee shop and laughed. He got a few odd looks from passing strangers; but, he didn't care. He was about to do something utterly ridiculous, and even he recognized that. But, after months and thousands of dollars trying to revisit a dream, he finally got a real, tangible lead. A new coffee shop opened, named 'Sharp Cup', and now he was building his courage to go in and likely make a fool of himself.
It had been a wonderful dream. He had a wife, a home, and a peaceful life for many years before he woke up in the hospital. 'Sharp Development' as a corporation never existed, even though they were everywhere on his previous Earth. His family grew concerned, then distant, when he invested all his money into creating a new immersive game called, 'The AlterNet', all in an attempt to get back to his dream. His attempts at creating and launching the game never left the very expensive prototyping phases; but, he just couldn't match the immersive reality he remembered. He was spent, figuratively and literally, and he'd decided to just try and get back to a normal life, then he saw the coffee shop.
The white and red signage couldn't be mistaken, those were the Sharp colors he'd grown used to over the years he spent months in a coma. Even the menu on the window was the same as the coffee shops he frequented often in his dreams. If it were just a single one of those things; the name, the colors, or the menu, he might've convinced himself it was a coincidence. But, all of them combined had to mean something. He knew Sharp Development was a 'multiversal' company, and he did what he could to try and explain the existence of the multiverse to any scientific mind that would listen. Unfortunately, none of them would. But, somehow, they'd arrived on his Earth, right on his doorstep. Now, all he had to do was walk in, and ask the barista how to get to the next universe. Either they would help him, or he'd finally realize he'd gone insane months ago.
That was his plan anyway. He walked in, and almost felt like he'd arrived at home. His current house in this world had always been fine enough; but, he spent some of his best hours in the standardized layout of the shop. He told himself that the warm feelings of nostalgia in his chest meant he wasn't crazy. And, he also reminded himself that the mind could imagine all sorts of things as needed. He stood in the door taking it all in; but, he wasn't ready at all.
"Have a seat anywhere, hon," A brunette waitress with kind eyes and full figure smiled at him. It was her. His own wife didn't seem to recognize him and that was enough proof. He'd imagined the whole thing. His face dropped, shoulders slouched, and he turned to leave instead.
"You don't want to go sit outside," the waitress rushed up and grabbed his arm. "Come sit over here by the kitchen," she pulled him further into the shop and he didn't fight it. Even if he never married her in another life, she still smelled like happiness to him. Her voice quieted his mind like a still pond.
"There you go," she encouraged him into the booth and he took a moment to consider his next steps. He stared blankly at the white table while he wondered. Should he order something? It seemed like the obvious answer, yet his mind was refusing to cooperate.
"How bout an orange cream float?" she asked with a smile. He looked up at her and she winked; but, what did that mean? Most people would assume he wanted coffee of some sort if he wandered into a coffee shop. Maybe tea. But, a float wouldn't have been anyone's first guess. Much less in his favorite flavors.
"Yeah.. I'll take that..," he nodded and glanced at her nametag. It read: 'Julia', but his wife's name, if he ever had one, was April. And, she was a corporate cog in Sharp Development, not a waitress.
"Coming right up, handsome," she smiled and spun on her heels to head back to the kitchen. He looked around for the first time and realized they were quite busy. It was the same coffee shop he'd been in hundreds of times, and it always seemed to be lively. He'd been so distracted by Julia's voice that he hadn't noticed the loud chatter happening all around him. Almost all the tables and booths were full, and he chuckled again. Julia had been the only person in the place as far as he was concerned.
"Thank you...," Wendell nodded once she returned with the drink. It was hard not to stare at the lovely woman, for a variety of reasons. She was gorgeous, and he was in love, probably. He did his best to keep his eyes on the white table.
"You're welcome, darling," she replied. "And, this is for you...," she tore off a sheet from her small notepad and slid the ticket face down by the drink.
"Thanks," he nodded again. The most obvious answer was that it wasn't her. She was treating him like a stranger and all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her. If she couldn't see they were soulmates then maybe they weren't. He sipped at the drink and it was as delicious as he remembered, then he grew curious about the price. It was funny to wonder about the exchange rate between his dream world and the real world, would it be about the same price? He picked up the ticket and the first thing that jumped out at him was a red lipstick kiss at the the top of it. Then, he read the rest and did his best not to break down into tears.
"Yes, it's me, you big dummy. Can't catch up right now because look around at how busy we are. I've missed you! It's been months, wait a little longer for me please? I'm off work in two hours. Love - April"