#62: Nice

Grace lost her next sentence the moment Peter tapped the screen of his phone. The screen came to life and she could see the red battery in the upper corner. She felt the initial surge of panic rise in her. As her sentence petered out, anger suddenly rose, replacing her anxiety.

She tapped the table inches from his phone. "Hey," she said.

His eyes darted up, seeing her anger. Even Matilda looked up from her video. One hand reached up to the headphones, ready to pull them off. It wouldn't have been the first time her parents had embarrassed her in public and this new cafe just around the corner was ripe for ruining.

Even though she was here with her parents, it was the perfect place to bring her friends so they could sit at the corner table by the window and watch the world go by. The bus stop over the road was where Dylan and his mates got off each day. But of course her parents were about to fight, forcing her to never come back here.

Peter turned over the phone so that it was face down and to her surprise (and embarrassment) he entwined his fingers in Grace's.

Since she returned, her mother has been more intense, more focussed on the present moment. And Matilda had to acknowledge that this was nice.