"Fin, can I talk to you for a minute?" Kasey appears at my side as I continue powdering another batch of doughnuts. A small v forms between her eyes as concerns mingle in her mind. I can see the gears turning in her mind from here.

I nod at her, setting the strainer down on the counter. "Yeah, of course."

Kasey motions me to follow her to the back of the kitchen. She leads me up a hidden set of stairs to the second floor where her office is. The small hallway leading to the door is painted cream white to brighten the area. The doorway is decorated with a few drawings and watercolor paintings her niece and nephew gifted her the last time they came to the cafe.

She opens the door and welcomes me into her small office space. Her light brown wood desk sits beside the window and is filled with various binders for budgeting. Sand-colored post-it notes sit at the edge with a white, glass pineapple sitting on top. The air is scented with fresh salt and beach vibes from the wax melter in her larger pineapple. Baby succulents line the window in uniquely decorated pots, all beach-themed with small crabs and sandcastles.

Beyond the warmly lit, summer-toned room, the rain continues to pour in heavy streams and soaks the world outside in cold spring water. The sky is darkened with thick gray clouds and has been dark ever since last night when it started to sprinkle. The forecast said it would rain all day with possible thunder.

It has been so long since I've heard thunder.

Kasey sits down at her desk and gestures for me to sit as well. I study her with a note of concern, unsure what she brought me here to talk about. There is a sense of regret floating in the air and it's making me anxious.

Did I do something wrong? What's going on?

I sit down in the soft leather seat across from her desk with only my toes touching the ground. I sit up straight, adjusting my posture to match her formal one and feel my nerves worsen with every passing second of silence.

Kasey sighs and looks down at one of her binders with a forlorn expression. "As you know... the cafe has been struggling financially for a while."

Her words act as a sharp kick to my heart. It takes physical effort to maintain a neutral expression and not betray the mounting fear in my mind.

"And according to the reports... we won't be able to stay in business for much longer. We don't have enough orders to support us."

I think back to a few weeks ago when she let Teryn and a few others go. Our staff numbers are dwindling by the week, and things haven't gotten better. Though a few regulars continue to come, very handsome regulars, but we haven't seen much growth in customers.

"How long do we have?" I ask hesitantly.

"A month. The upcoming building rent will put us over the edge. We will start losing money when that comes."

I wring my hands in my lap and start to kick lightly at the ground. "So what are we going to do? What's the plan?" I question, straining my mind to think of ways to fix this.

The Hallowed Grounds can't close! This place is special. It just can't go out of business! There must be something we can do. Something that we're missing.

Kasey smiles weakly, tilting her head to one side. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, and you have been my best employee, Fin. This has been difficult but I am grateful for all your hard work. But you know what's coming, and sometimes things aren't meant to last."

"That means..."

"We are going to close our doors in two weeks. We held on for as long as we could but this is it. Thank you so much for all your work, Finley," Kasey says with such finality that all hopes of reviving the cafe are dashed away.

My lips part as soundless words fill my mind, wishing I could convince her otherwise. But she has made her choice. There's nothing I can do or say to change her mind.

Hallowed Grounds is closing its doors.

I nod at her, swallow hard, and slowly stand up. "I understand. Thank you for everything, Kasey, these past few years... I have really felt at home here. I am happy I had this experience."

Kasey stands as well and follows me out of her office. "This place was like a second home to you, I know. But there are seasons in life, and though it is sad that it is ending, there is a new season waiting for you. You are a determined girl, I know you can thrive wherever you go."

But I wanted to thrive here. I don't want to go anywhere else. 

"Thank you, Kasey..."

We walk back downstairs and I return to my station beside the doughnuts, feeling stunned by the news. Kasey walks to the front, probably to talk with Sam and the other girl working the register.

I sigh heavily and lean against the counter, staring down at the large cooking pan of powdered doughnuts, contemplating on what my next move is.

I have no plans beyond this place. I don't want to work anywhere else, I was perfectly happy working here. The other coffee shops are not the same; they are corporations and lack respect for their employees. I don't want to work in fast food because of all the horror stories I've heard, and an office job would make me go insane.

My options of good jobs were slim to begin with and I have a sick feeling I will end up working someplace miserable. I know life doesn't go as planned, and many adults suffer through jobs they hate but I hoped I would never have to experience that.

I guess my luck has run out.

✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.★.*｡･ﾟ✫*.✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.★.*｡･ﾟ✫*.

"Good afternoon, what can I get you today?" I ask cheerfully but my voice does not reflect my heart. I am forcing an easy smile, one that can easily hide the disappointment inside of me.

Kim Namjoon, the owner of Bangtan Chicken and Brewery, stands before me with a leather satchel around his shoulder and a slightly damp raincoat. He studies the menu with a curious gaze, the soft lights of the cafe reflect off his brown eyes causing the deep topaz hues to shine a little brighter.

He glances over at me through the corner of his eye, his mouth slightly parted as a decision formulates. "Can I have four caramel macchiatos to go?"

I nod and begin typing in the order, "Yes, of course. Anything else?"

Namjoon pauses and looks over the display of various desserts and pastries. His eyes widen with focus as he makes his decision, "Maybe those cookies... Could I have seven of them?"

"Of course," I reply. I open up the sliding glass door behind the display and begin to take seven sugar cookies. I grab a small box from the edge of the counter and place them neatly inside, cautious of the frosting covering the front.

Namjoon glances around the near-empty cafe as he waits for me to finish. "Is that a new painting?" he asks, pointing to the art section.

"Yes, it was just added," I explain but feel a pang of sadness. It is probably the final round of art we will show before we close our doors. I hand him the box and finish ringing up his order, "It's too bad we have to close. I wish we had a little more time."

Namjoon watches me in surprise, "You're closing?"

I nod slowly, "Yeah... in two weeks." I inhale sharply and force myself to remain positive, "But I guess that's how it is for most small businesses these days. Though I have no doubt your place is safe from that."

Just as my shift ends, I always catch a glimpse of the BCB and its lines of eager customers. The smell of fried chicken and foaming beer draws in a hungry crowd without fail. They aren't limited to age groups either because of their family and their college student night discounts. They can reach a wide variety of people, not only that, their waiters are attractive enough to be models and that is one of their selling points.

Nobody in town can draw in a crowd of girls like the BCB waiters; not even the Hallowed Grounds has that type of power.

I begin to feel a certain bitterness towards the BCB and their uncanny ability to draw in massive crowds with their menu of fried chicken, pizza, and BBQs. Their brewery also gives them an edge over the other sports bars in town making their restaurant unique and of higher quality. Since we live in a college town, the BCB was bond for greatness among the younger population.

I hate them because they are doing so well, and I'm jealous of their success. I wish I could transfer that success to the Hallowed Grounds but that's impossible.

I'm going to lose my job in two weeks, and the Hallowed Grounds will close its doors forever.

"That's terrible," Namjoon comments with a sympathetic softness in his voice. "I love this place... I will miss coming here. Is there really no other way to save it?"

I shake my head, "My boss already made her decision." I click my tongue in disapproval and force myself to remain cheerful again. "But that's just life, you know? It does things like that."

Namjoon blinks a few times at me, "I suppose you are right, even so, it is disappointing." He looks around the peaceful cafe with a thoughtful expression, "I am going to miss coming here. It was the best part of my break. Your drinks are wonderful."

I force my smile to remain and nod in agreement. "Yeah." With that, I turn back towards the drink counter and begin working on his four caramel macchiatos. I am generous with the milk foam because even though Namjoon and his restaurant are technically our indirect competition, I can't help but love the guy and the boys he hired.

All of them are sweethearts when they come into the cafe. I've come to know them by name because of their frequency and my extended hours, allowing me to catch them during their regular visits.

I have come to know them better over these past weeks.

Hoseok and Yoongi come at eight o'clock sharp with a bright smile and tired eyes, respectively. The three youngest of the group, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook, come together as a package deal and never fail to bring a smile to my face when I see them on weekend mornings. Namjoon will usually come in the afternoon to buy coffee for those working that specific night, sometimes accompanied by one of the older boys. Seokjin is more sporadic in his visits; he either comes alone or tags along with the other groups.

Sometimes Jimin and Taehyung come in without Jungkook because he doesn't feel like going anywhere. Sometimes Yoongi and Namjoon come to sit by the window to talk about anything and everything. Sometimes Hoseok and Jimin come to buy treats for everybody as a surprise. Jin and Jungkook pop up out of nowhere to buy up our stock of cake pops.

I am going to miss them.

I finish up the four drinks and fit them into a cardboard drink carrier. I set them on the pick-up counter and give Namjoon a fleeting smile as he takes them. "Thank you for coming in, have a blessed day!"

Namjoon returns the smile, "You as well. I hope everything works out for you." He glances over his shoulder, out the rain-coated window, "You know... if you are interested, we were thinking about hiring one more person..." He gives me a shy but hopeful expression, "We pay well, and we receive a lot of tips. It would be a change of pace from here but if you're looking for work, I think you'd do well."

I blink in surprise, "Me?"

He nods, "Of course. We come here often enough to know you work hard. You have excellent customer service skills and can handle the rush of foodservice. If you're interested, stop on over and we can talk more."

Hesitant to accept the offer on the spot, I give him a hesitant smile, "I'll think about it, thanks for telling me."

Namjoon smiles back, small dimples appearing in his soft cheeks. "Great! You can stop by any time!"

I nod, "Yeah, I'll do that."

With that, Namjoon cautiously takes the drink carrier and balances the box of cookies on top of it. I bite my lower lip as I watch him nervously, worried he may drop everything. But he gives me a quick smile and reassures me that he has it all under control. Then he leaves the cafe and crosses the street, disappearing into the cold rain like a ghost.

It isn't too early to start looking for a new job, but is working at their restaurant a good fit? I guess I shouldn't complain since this is such fortunate timing. Maybe I'm just upset about the cafe closing.

Part of me feels like I'm overreacting to this. The cafe shouldn't be my entire life, yet somehow it is. I am happiest at work rather than at my dismal apartment, all alone. At home, I don't have the equipment or special ingredients to experiment with. It feels like one of my most treasured hobbies is being forced to end.

Not only that, how am I supposed to feel happy at a sports bar? It might be exciting but there are other things I am worried about like drunk, old men, and my little-to-no knowledge on actual cooking.

I don't want to lose the life I have right now. Why does it have to end? I don't want this season to end yet. I want it for just a while longer, but I don't get a say in that anymore.

I force myself to take a deep breath and remind myself to deal with this later. I just need to smile for a little while longer. Pouting about it at work won't help anybody, or solve the problem at hand. Emotions will only get in the way of what needs to be done, and that is finishing my shift with pride.

So I do what I have always done and mask those dark, confusing emotions with another easy smile.

Beyond the walls of the cafe, I hear the soft rumbling of thunder grow into a low roar that causes the glass to tremble. The storm is growing worse and I hope Namjoon made it safely back to his restaurant, even if it's just across the street.

"Everything is going to be okay," I whisper to myself, turning back to the register. "Just keep going, Fin..."

And the storm outside continues to rage on.

A/N: I know it's boring right now but I promise things will pick up soon! I am struggling to write this but I am determined to finish it! What do you guys think of Finley? She is struggling with the duality of acceptance and rejection of change, and I hope that was clear. I am not sure if I am executing this right. But thank you for reading!! It really means a lot to see your votes and comments!! Remember something healthy today and drink plenty of water! Love you all!!