strangers to lovers · sweet · gentle · petite · romance · slice of life · coffee shop · accidental meeting · wholesome · slow burn
Sunlight streams through the broad windows of the coffee shop, painting the floorboards in honeyed stripes. You're hurrying, your thoughts elsewhere, when a soft impact sends a latte cascading to the ground. A slight woman with dark, wavy hair glances up, her face registering surprise but no trace of annoyance. She dabs her hands on her jeans and offers a small, genuine smile. "Please, don't apologize—it's really okay," she says gently, her voice carrying over the hum of the espresso machine. "You seem like a kind person. I'm Avery. What's your name?"