Keith R. Potempa

A little red-headed girl walks proudly into Ugly Mugs cafe and directly up to the counter. “Happy Fourth of July,” she says. She is about six years old and alone, carrying a silver briefcase.

“Happy Fourth!” the cafe owner responds. He smiles warmly at her, clearly a regular. “Where is everybody?”

The little girl sighs dramatically. She hefts the briefcase up onto the counter, which is only a few inches below her head. “They’re coming,” she says. “They’re slow.” The father and another daughter, black haired and mousy, step in.

The red-headed daughter begins to order, but is interrupted by the owner and the father’s exchanges of “happy fourth.”

“I’m going to have cereal.” The red-head says. She’s wearing a flashy flower-printed dress and matching Mary Janes.

“We don’t really have that same kind of cereal anymore,” the owner says. “Its granola with almonds. Do you like granola and almonds.”

She thinks. “Yes,” she gestures with a limp hand. “I want that. With brown sugar.”

“Sure,” the owner says.

“And strawberries and bananas.”

“Ok.” The owner nods, implying that this order is not really on the menu, but could be done.

“And milk,” she says with finality.

The black haired daughter glances at me. We make eye contact and she looks away.

“C’mon,” the red head pulls on her sister’s arm. “C’mon lets go.”

“Do you want that in a cup or a bowl sweetie?” the owner asks.

“A bowl,” the red head says. “C’mon,” she pulls on her sister’s arm.

“And a coffee,” the father says.

“Sure,” the owner says.

“C’mon,” the red head pulls on her sister’s arm again. The black haired girl clearly wants to say something, but her sister keeps pulling on her. Finally, she hesitantly moves with her sister into the cafe. She has a book that she is clutching to her chest, and is wearing comparatively plain clothes.

The owner and the father begin discussing something. The father picks up the briefcase his red head daughter left on the counter. After a moment, he realizes his other daughter never ordered anything. He calls out to her, already sitting at the table, trying to read but constantly being interrupted by her sister.

“I’ll have a plain bagel with cream cheese,” she says with a shy smirk.