"The Bookshop Bench"

 

Emma was 62 when her husband passed away. They had been married for 40 years. After the funeral, the house felt quiet, Emma felt the day were long and the evening felt even longer.

      One afternoon, Emma not knowing what else to do and she wandered into a small bookshop downtown. It was warm and quiet inside with the smell of old pages and fresh coffee. In the cornel, there was a wooden bench with a soft red cushion. Emma sat down, she picked up a book and read for a while. Emma didn't buy anything that day, but she came back next day, she always sat on the same bench. The staff got used to her gentle smile and quiet presence.

One rainy Thursday, Emma notice someone else sitting on her usual bench-- a man, about her age, reading the same book she had finished last week. She gave a small laugh and said "you're sitting in my spot". He looked up surprised, then he smiled, "I guess we'll have to share it".

His name was Arthur, he had been coming to the bookshop too, ever since he lost his wife three years ago. They started talking - first about books, then about life, love and loss. They began meeting there every Thursday, sharing stories and coffee, laughing more than either of them had in years.

Month passed, and one day Arthur asked, "would you like to take our next book to the part instead? Emma smiled" Only if there's a bench". They never stopped reading and they never sat alone again.