The coffee shop was a nice brick facade with black windowsills and dark green awnings. The facade was a familiar sight as Alex walked in the door as a bell rings. The hum of chatter and the smell of fresh coffee beans bringing back memories. Alex spots his friends and walks over, sitting in his old spot. Jamie smiling and waving.
"Alex! Dude, you actually made it!?" Michael shouts.
"Finally! Thought you'd forgotten about us…" Alex smiles awkwardly. Sliding into his seat beside Zoe.
"Yeah… I… uh… I needed a break… Thanks for helping me get through my depression y'all" Jamie smiles.
"No Prob, Man! Sarah told us she was babysitting… Man… We can't believe it– You really have a child now?" Michael agrees.
"Yeah, it's kind of wild… how're you holding up with all of that?" Alex hesitates, feeling the weight of their eyes on him. The expectation for him to be the same old Alex, but everything has changed, so he's no longer the same.
"It's… a lot… More than I ever thought, to be honest… The late nights, the crying… It's like I barely have time to blink…" Zoe turns to look at Alex.
"Why didn't you ask for help earlier? You don't have to do it all alone, you know?" Michael continues.
"We get it, man… Must be tough… We've just been giving you space… Didn't wanna pressure you into hanging out or anything" Alex looks down at his coffee. Swirl the stirrer slowly.
"I didn't mean to drift away… It's just… I don't know how to fit anymore… You guys talk about stuff I don't really sympathize with anymore…" Jamie smiles calmly, sipping her coffee.
"I mean… Yeah, but… That doesn't mean we don't want you around… We miss you, man…" Zoe nods in agreement.
"And you're not the same person… But that's okay… You're doing something none of us are dealing with, but… It's honestly pretty impressive" Michael agrees.
"But that doesn't mean we can't adjust either… If ever you need to just chill and talk or vent about stuff, we're here… Doesn't always have to be like the old days… holding onto the past only brings up bad things in the current moment… we all need to accept that we're going to change" Alex feels relieved. Realizing that maybe he hasn't lost his friends completely. Alex looks at his coffee and calmly smiles.
"Thanks… I guess I was just scared I'd be… left behind…" Zoe remarks.
"We're not leaving you… You're a dad now, and that's huge!... we're just… learning how to be friends with Dad Alex along with the Alex we remember" Alex calmly smiles, a little more at ease. For the first time in weeks, he feels like maybe things could work out. Maybe he can keep his friendships alive, even if it's in a way they're all still getting used to.
Alex walks out of the coffee shop with his friends, feeling lighter than he has in weeks. The reconnection had gone better than he'd expected. As they split off in different directions, Marcus jogs up to walk beside him.
"Hey, Alex," Marcus starts, Alex smiles, happy to see him.
"How've you been, Marcus?" Marcus exhales.
"Sorry I didn't come to the outing… I couldn't bring myself to… I didn't want to bring this up in there, but I gotta ask—are you sure this whole thing with Emma is a good idea?" Alex pauses, furrowing his brow.
"What do you mean?" Marcus shoves his hands into his pockets, glancing away.
"I mean, you're only 18. You have your whole life ahead of you, man. You could've gone to college, traveled, done anything you wanted… Now you're stuck raising a kid. Doesn't that seem… I don't know, like a waste?" Alex feels his stomach sink. After feeling supported by his other friends, this hits hard.
"It's not a waste, Marcus. Emma needed me… I didn't just pick this life, but I'm not walking away from it either." Marcus shrugs, still unconvinced.
"Yeah, but it's not like you're even his real dad. You've got no obligation to him. Why put your life on hold?" Alex exhales sharply, frustration simmering.
"It's not about obligation… It's about doing what's right… Emma's a part of my life now, whether you get that or not." Marcus holds up his hands in mock surrender.
"Hey, it's your life, man. I'm just saying it's crazy… Just that you're gonna miss out on so much… You won't even be able to hang out with us like you used to. Is that really what you want?" Alex shakes his head, eyes narrowing.
"I don't expect you to understand, Marcus. But I'm not missing out…. I'm making sure Emma has a chance at a good life… That's worth more than parties or whatever." Marcus sighs, glancing away.
"Whatever, dude. Just seems like a lot of trouble for something you didn't even ask for." Without saying another word, Alex turns and walks off, leaving Marcus standing alone. The warmth from his earlier time with his friends fades, replaced by the lingering sting of Marcus' words. Even though he knows not everyone will understand, it still hurts to realize how different his life has become.