Three Cups of Morning Coffee at the Oakhaven Diner Changed Everything

save for Evelyn’s old station wagon and a delivery truck idling near the kitchen doors.

I parked in my usual spot near the wooden porch, shut off the ignition, and sat for a minute just listening to the quiet tick of the cooling engine.

The blue ceramic mug sat on the passenger seat beside me, wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to keep continue reading …