if we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting for the rest of our lives

 Gage tried his best to have lunch with Poppy every day. She seemed at odds with something, but he wasn't sure what.

"What's going on?" Of course, she wouldn't tell him. She told him he wouldn't understand. 

"Everything is OK," she told him, but he didn't believe her. 

"Well, lets eat," he then said, but she wasn't hungry.

"You need to eat," he told her. "I'll pay. You can at least not worry about paying." He sighed. She always made that a big deal. He wished she wouldn't. But when they went to the Downtown Coffee shop they saw it was closed. For good.

"How did that happen?" Gage was beginning to feel nothing was going right for him. But something new was coming. So there was hope.

"Let's go to the bakery then," although, he'd put off going there for some time. Ste owned the place and he was certain Ste would remember how much he hated him because of Macy. Although, that was so long ago. Gage had always stayed the distance. Still, he was sure Ste needed the business too. 

So they got the quiche. It was huge enough for the two of them and hot coffee. It was starting to be chilly outside, but not that cold. Just cozy weather.

"How's your Aunt?" He asked when they found a place to sit with the food.

"Oh, I guess OK." She shrugged and forked the quiche and it crumbled yet the gooey cheese held it together.

"You guess?"

"You can't help me," she looked at him a bit frantic. He felt sad about this. He picked up with a fork what she had left on the plate. 

"I'm right here, I am not pushing you away." He didn't think they were having a spat, but maybe they were. He lifted the fork toward her mouth and finally watched her take a bite.

"You don't want me to know your son," she said after she took a mouthful.

"Well.." Gage squinted hard. "It's not like that. Really, it's not. It's just I..I tend to screw everything up."

He took a bite of the quiche, it was full of all the right fall spices. It was so warm and inviting. He might should pick up a slice to take back to his mom and step-dad.

"Why do you say that?" Poppy asked. 

"Trust me, I rush in when I shouldn't and now I feel like a snail who can't go anywhere." He looked at her with a smile. "But if you have nothing better to do tonight, could I come over?"

He almost had tears in his eyes because he was afraid she would say no.

She nodded.

"Then you can tell me everything going on with your Aunt and..and anything else that might be bothering you," Gage guessed this meant yes.

"I'd like that," Poppy told him.