Best Epiphanies Happen in Coffee Shops

         Some called it a gift; some, a curse; Kai Sullivan didn’t know what to call it.  For nineteen long years, Kai had always been deemed as “special” or “gifted” by psychiatrists, psychologists, and all of the other sort of “-ists” that stuck their greedy noses into his file.  From where he stood at three p.m. that bright and cheerful Friday, it felt like more of a curse. 
         He resisted the urge to sigh as he glanced down at his sleek new phone.  “Why do I even spend money on these phones?” he muttered to himself as he lit the screen to check for any missed calls.  Calls were far and in between, and when it did decide to ring, the caller usually was his mother, checking in to see how his new, exciting college classes were going.  Not the type of call he wanted to receive when he was waiting for potential dates to return his offers. 
         With a grimace, he shifted beneath the clingy fabric of his shirt.  The polyester-cotton trap held captive a crucial indication to his special gift—two silvery wings folded into painful angles beneath it.  No one in the family was sure where the wings came from, deeming it some mixing in the bloodlines years ago.  The doctors all claimed it was a recessive gene, which was why no one else in the family had turned out as a human-sized fairy, but since breeding with fairies didn’t happen often, they only could run off guesses.  All Kai knew was that exposing them once in the cafeteria during breakfast gave him little chance for any dates.  He figured this was why he was standing in front of the fountain for what was going on an hour—again.
         He allowed himself the sigh he had been waiting for and hit reject when his cell phone screen flashed: incoming call from Mom.  He pocketed the electronic device and pulled out his mp3 player instead.  Inserting the headphones into his ears, he hit the skip button until he found a song that pleased him.  He cast one last glance at the empty courtyard and with a shake of his head, started off towards the small coffee shop off campus. 
         On the way there, he blushed under the stares from passers-by.  He had never considered himself good looking, but everyone who wasn’t taken aback by his wings thought so.  He couldn’t figure out why people would appreciate his long, lanky figure with his white-blond hair and pale blue eyes.  He felt like all of the color had been drained out of him: pale hair, skin, and eyes, with silver wings, but no matter how much he resisted, they told him that he looked ethereal.  He wasn’t sure about that, but if that’s what they insisted then he would let them to make them happy.
          He sidled into the coffee shop and breathed deep, taking in the comforting smells of chocolate, coffee, and tea.  Warmth washed over his body, despite the fact that he hadn’t ordered a drink yet.  His wounded confidence felt at ease. 
         Much better.  I’d rather have a drink alone anyways.  No awkward small talk.  He wasn’t sure how much he agreed with his justification.
         Once he had ordered and received his drink, he glanced around for a place to enjoy his strong coffee.  His heart sank when no open tables called his name, and he steeled himself to join an occupied table.  With a nod to assure himself, he approached a table with a single occupant, a girl about his age who seemed lost in her own daydreams.  “Excuse me?”
         She jerked in surprise and whirled around to face him.  She blinked her emerald green eyes a few times and swatted her textured black hair out of her vision.  “I’m sorry, am I in your seat?”
         He shook his head and shifted his hands to keep more surfaces on the warm cup.  “No.  Sorry I startled you.  There aren’t any more empty places and you…looked kind of lonely.  Can I join you?”  At her nod, he slid down into the hard wooden chair across from her.  The rungs supporting the back dug into his delicate wings.  “I’m Kai.  What’s your name?”
         “Aidyn…my name is Aidyn.”
         He cocked his head, unsure as to why she still sounded distracted.  “If you don’t mind me asking, are you…okay?  You sound like something’s wrong.  I know that’s weird coming from a complete stranger, but maybe talking it out would help.”
         Aidyn held a button on the side of her cell phone resting on the table.  “I have class in a little while.  Can I get a rain check on this discussion?”
         “If I freaked you out or anything, I’m sorry—I guess I’m kind of socially awkward, though I don’t know why I just told you that.”  He bit his lip and dropped his gaze to the table.
         Aidyn giggled and pocketed her phone.  “No…it’s okay.  It’s just heavy stuff for a first meeting at the coffee shop, you know?  But I have seen you around campus, so…”
         Kai took a moment to process then beamed when he understood the implications of her trailing off.  “Is it more of a second date topic?”
         “Maybe more if the second goes well...I just know that there is something—a big something—we have in common and now that we’ve crossed paths, it might be nice having someone who understands what it’s like.”  She cast him a smile as she stood and gathered her belongings into her bag.  “Oh!  Before I leave…”  She tore a small sheet of paper from her notebook and scribbled on it with a colorful pen.  She slid the paper across the table to him with a smile.  “Use it sometime.”  She waved at him and retreated out the door, covering her flushed cheeks with a purple scarf as she went.
         He waited until he felt sure she had gone then glanced at the paper.  To his elation, she had written what he had hoped—her cell number.  He leaned closer to inspect the small drawing in the corner and gasped, drawing back.  The tiny sketch was a picture of fairy wings.  She knew.  She said that they had something in common…
         He jumped out of his chair and grabbed his hot coffee, almost upsetting it in the process.  Maybe she was like him?  Allowing a smile, he let himself revel in the fact that sometimes, being stood up on a date wasn’t that bad.