I read the plaque at the coffee shop counter. What caught my eye was the glass shelf of muffins, loaves of bread, and pastries all freshly baked next to the cash register. My spouse Wendy and I looked at each other, dressed in the blouse that her mother Sherry used to wear every day. When one of our friends suggested we should leave, we could have turned around and walked out. Instead, we took a table near the window. One seat faced the counter, one displayed handmade cards and crafts with a coffee jar, and one had a view of the forest.
None of us agreed with religious or secondary fundamentalism. However, we were desperate to take a break from my mother-in-law's cramped and dark house. She was confused a day early by a letter stating that her car license had been suspended. Wendy sorted the bills and replenished the excessive bank account. Soon we would be going grocery shopping...