Chapter 2 The Smile Before Sunrise

The next morning, Rome was painted in the tender half-light before dawn, when the streets seemed to hum with quiet expectation. The café's awning was still damp from the night air, the first swirl of espresso drifting into the empty piazza like a promise.

Emma was early, earlier than she'd ever been.

She told herself it was because she wanted to write before work, but even she didn't believe that lie. She wanted to see him. To thank him, perhaps, for the small gesture with the napkin, or just to confirm he was real and not a figment of caffeine and imagination.

The bell above the café door jingled softly. The room was nearly empty except for the barista polishing cups and him.

Linen shirt, sleeves rolled, hair tousled from the wind, smile already forming as if he'd known she would come.

"Buongiorno," he said, that lilting accent wrapping around the word. "You're early today."

"So are you," she replied, sliding into line beside him.

He grinned. "I have competition now. If I don't get here first, someone might take my favorite spot."

"Your spot?" she teased. "Pretty sure you mean my spot."

He pretended to consider it. "I suppose we could share."

She laughed soft, surprised, genuine. It filled the small space between them like sunlight finding a crack in the wall.

The barista raised a brow at them both. "The usuals?"

Liam nodded. "Il solito for me." Then, turning to Emma: "Let me guess cappuccino with honey croissant?"

She blinked. "How did you?"

"I pay attention," he said simply, eyes glinting with mischief.

Emma rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "Then you must also know I don't take sugar."

"I do now." He looked almost proud of himself, as though he'd just solved a small, delightful mystery.

When their orders came, they moved toward the counter, standing shoulder to shoulder. The window outside had begun to glow faintly gold; the city beyond was stirring awake. Emma took a sip of her cappuccino and caught him watching her.

"What?" she asked, amused.

"Just confirming," he said, "that you really do drink it without sugar."

She laughed again, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."

"Not ridiculous," he countered. "Curious. There's a difference."

"And what exactly are you curious about?"

He leaned on the counter, still smiling. "Why you come here every morning at exactly eight-oh-five."

She tilted her head. "Maybe I like routine."

"Or maybe you like the company."

Emma met his gaze, pulse quickening. "Maybe."

For a moment, neither spoke. The café around them blurred into background music the hiss of steam, the faint clatter of porcelain, the city waking beyond the window. Then Liam broke the silence, his tone lighter again.

"I'm Liam," he said, extending his hand.

"Emma."

He repeated it softly, testing the sound. "Emma." He nodded. "Good name. Very... literary."

She laughed. "I translate books. It fits."

"Ah," he said, feigning understanding. "So you spend your days making other people sound clever in different languages."

"Exactly." She smiled. "And what about you?"

"I design things. Buildings, mostly."

"An architect?" she asked, impressed.

"Trying to be," he said modestly. "Mostly I drink espresso and make sketches I never finish."

She raised her cup in a mock toast. "Then we both chase impossible things."

He clinked his tiny espresso cup against hers. "Here's to impossible things."

They stood there, sipping, smiling, saying nothing more. Outside, the first real rays of sunlight slid across the square, catching on the rim of her cup. The world seemed to pause just long enough for her to think: so this is how it begins.

Would you like me to keep going with Chapter 2, Part 2, where they meet again the following morning and their easy banter deepens into something more personal-perhaps a small walk through Trastevere after coffee?

Part 2: A Walk Through Trastevere

The next morning the city was already alive. Market stalls unfolded like bright paper lanterns, and the air was thick with the perfume of basil, bread, and morning rain. Emma found herself smiling before she even reached the café. She knew he would be there.

He was.

Liam stood outside Caffè Rosati, sketchbook in hand, one foot crossed over the other, looking like he belonged to the street itself. A curl of hair fell over his forehead; a half-finished drawing sprawled across the page arched windows, a fountain, a swirl of pigeons in flight.

"You're early again," she said, tugging at the strap of her bag.

He looked up, grinning. "I didn't want you accusing me of stealing your spot."

"Fair," she said, laughing. "You working on something new?"

He turned the sketchbook so she could see. "Trying to capture the fountain, but it keeps changing its mind about the light."

Emma studied the page. "You've almost got it," she said softly. "The reflection on the water... it feels alive."

He tilted his head, a little surprised by the earnestness in her voice. "You notice details."

"I translate words for a living," she said with a shrug. "I can't help noticing things that shift when you look closer."

They went inside together, the tiny bell greeting them with its familiar chime. The barista smirked and started their orders without asking.

"See?" Liam said. "Now we're officially regulars."

"I think she ships us," Emma whispered, and he almost choked on a laugh.

"Ships us?"

"It's an English thing," she explained, cheeks warming. "It means she probably thinks we're"

"A couple," he finished, eyes sparkling. "Well, we do share a caffeine dependency. That's a bond."

When their drinks arrived, neither hurried away. They lingered, the conversation light and tumbling, touching on everything and nothing the stray cat that slept in the alley, the smell of rain on old stone, the madness of Roman traffic.

Finally, Liam set down his empty cup. "You know," he said, "for someone who lives in Rome, I spend far too much time indoors drawing it. Come on."

"Come on?"

"Walk with me," he said easily, as though it were the most natural request in the world.

She hesitated only a second before following him out into the morning light.

They wandered through the narrow streets of Trastevere, past laundry lines fluttering above their heads and the occasional burst of music from an open window. He pointed out tiny architectural details she' d never noticed carvings on doorframes, the way certain arches mirrored one another across alleys. She told him about the books she worked on, the poets who made her fall in love with language.

Every few steps, their shoulders brushed, and neither pulled away.

They stopped at the edge of the Piazza Santa Maria, where the fountain shimmered in the sunlight. Liam closed his sketchbook and looked at her.

"See? The light really does change every few minutes," he said quietly.

She followed his gaze. "You're right. It's never the same twice."

"Kind of like people," he added. "You think you've figured them out, and then" he smiled"they show up early for coffee."

Emma laughed softly. "Maybe they just like good company."

For a heartbeat, they simply stood there, the city moving gently around them the chatter of vendors, the toll of distant bells, a warm breeze carrying the scent of espresso and oranges.

It was a small thing, really: two strangers sharing a morning in Rome. But to Emma, it felt like the start of something she hadn't even realized she'd been waiting for.