The night air had a sharpness to it, even in July. Katie pulled the gray sweater tighter around her as she leaned against the side of the shelter building, knees drawn up, one arm looped around her canvas tote. Her hair was still damp from the shower, and the clean feeling clung to her like borrowed armor. Inside, the other women shifted in their cots or murmured to each other behind curtained dividers. She didn’t sleep. Not really. Just waited out the hours, blinking at the ceiling, replaying pieces of the upcoming day in her head like it would somehow prepare her.
Katie sat upright on the shelter cot, still damp from the shower, clutching her bag to her chest like it might vanish if she blinked. She checked the time on the cheap donated phone, screen cracked but functional, and let out a shaky breath. "Okay... it's just a coffee date," she whispered to no one, trying to believe it. She pulled out a pair of jeans from her bag, smoothing them out carefully. Why am I nervous? It's not like it's real... he doesn’t know. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag.
She had found the jeans in the donation bin that morning. Not perfect, but decent. Same with the sweater. What mattered was that they were clean, and she didn’t smell like mildew or street air. She’d even found a nearly full stick of deodorant in the shelter bathroom’s donation tray. A toothbrush, too, still in its packaging. It felt like a win. Maybe not enough to calm the knots in her stomach, but enough to let her pretend for one afternoon that things were different. Just a few hours of pretending... that’s all.
When the sun finally came up, she slipped out before most were even awake. Her bag was still with her, everything she owned inside, and her limbs ached from staying alert all night. She spent an hour in the park near the library, brushing her hair out with her fingers and trying to flatten the fuzz at the ends. Her reflection in the bathroom mirror there was better than she expected. Not great, not polished, but better. Like someone trying. Like someone who still cared.
Midday crept in fast. She kept checking the cracked screen of her phone, watching the minutes slide closer to the time they'd agreed on. The café wasn’t far, a small place she’d passed by a dozen times but never stepped inside. The closer she got, the more her heart beat against her ribs like it was trying to break free. `This is stupid. You should turn around.`
But she didn’t. She rounded the corner and saw the tables outside. Her steps slowed. Then... she spotted him standing near the entrance. Waiting. Her breath caught in her throat. She took a second to smooth her sweater with one hand and push her hair back behind her ears. Then she walked up, keeping her grip on her bag light but firm. He doesn’t know. Just act like it’s normal. You’re normal. Her voice was quieter than she expected, but steady. "Hey... sorry if I kept you waiting. I'm Katie. I’m glad you came. I wasn’t sure you would."
