The Hideaway Cafe by Terri Lorah

Author:Terri Lorah
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: contemporary, women's ficiton, divorce fiction, sisters, single author, mother & children, united states, clean & wolesome,
Publisher: Terri Lorah
Published: 2020-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

The door flew open as Laura turned to see who came stomping into her kitchen. It had to be one of her grown children. They still acted like kids when they were angry. “Hello?”

“Hi Mom!”

Her son sat down at the counter, reaching for the coffee urn she had sitting there. He poured himself a cup and began drinking the hot liquid. She knew better than to question him until he calmed down. Cole was like her in many ways. She didn’t get angry much, but when she did it was a good one.

Instead, she cut a slice of the freshly baked coffee cake she just made. It was still warm from the oven. Laura had hoped Joe would stop by this morning while it was baking so she could offer him a slice, but he had zipped right by waving to her. She gave him a smile and turned away, pretending she got a phone call.

Laura didn’t want him to know how much that stung.

“Will a slice of coffee cake calm you down, son?” she asked, knowing he’d never refuse.

“Coffee cake. Yes, it will help.”

She almost laughed out loud when the phone rang. Setting the slice of cake in front of Cole, she answered her phone. “Good Morning, Olivia. What? What! Yes, be right there.”

Cole heard the sound of her voice and turned his head. “What’s wrong?”

“We have to go. My neighbor may be having a stroke. She’s at the Café.”

“Did Olivia call 911?”

“Yes, they are on their way.”

Cole ran out the door ahead of her. As Laura made her way across the street, she noticed Joe’s golf cart sitting in front of the café. She didn’t have time to see if he was there having breakfast, but ran inside where her neighbor was slumped over in a chair.

Her son moved in quickly. He had been doing some volunteer work with the fire department years ago and learned first aid. “Mrs. Martin, can you hear me?”

The older woman stared at him, while everyone in the café watched. The whole room was silent.

“Mrs. Martin. I am going to ask you to smile. Can you show me your teeth and give me a smile?”

Laura’s heart beat faster when the old woman tried. The whole right side of her face didn’t move. There was no doubt she had a stroke.

“Mrs. Martin. I know this may be difficult but I believe you had a stroke. Can you close your eyes and raise your arms?”

She closed her eyes but neither arm was lifted in the air.

“Can you try that again?”

“I am,” she told him, then slumped back in the chair.

Laura gasped, but Cole quickly picked her up and carried her outside to the ambulance that was just pulling up to the café. The first responders jumped out to open the back door and got the woman inside. They hit the siren and took off, quickly moving cars out of the way.

Cole turned and came back inside. Laura was still in the same spot, frozen to the ground.

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