The booth is shaking. Not a traumatic, aggressive shake like that of an earthquake, but it is shaking – very… subtly. Most people probably wouldn’t even notice. I do. I do because it gives me something else to concentrate on other than what is happening in front of me. “I just… I don’t love you anymore,” I can't breathe as he says the words, “I don’t know that I ever truly did.” The man behind me must be nervous, his leg must be shaking, shaking the booth. “She makes me happy…” I don’t feel anything except a pressure on my chest. I can't breathe. I stare out the window, trying to focus, In… Out... I offer no response to what was just said. We had been having problems, this isn’t a shock. Still I cannot imagine my life without this man sitting across from me, a man I was to marry in three weeks. “Take care of yourself...” He puts a few dollars on the table to pay for our coffees before he gets up to leave me there sitting in that booth by myself. The only thing he left me with is a few dollars. That’s all I’m worth, two coffees? All I can feel right now is the shaking. At this point, I can’t tell if it’s me or the man behind me.

There is a family a few tables ahead of me, at a booth against the perpendicular wall. Their two daughters are young, maybe two and four? I can feel the resentment toward their beautiful little family. I shove it away and smile softly at the four year old as we catch a passing glance at each other. She is cute talking her parents’ ears of about how good she is at ballet as her parents try to keep her little sister from banging the spoon on the table like a drum. Jealous already. It is pretty obvious the four year old wants her parents’ attention which probably always seems to be on her younger sibling. She gives up on vying for her parents’ attention and goes back to eating her waffle.

The waitress shamelessly flirts with a man at the counter. He is wearing a ring but she doesn’t seem to mind. Neither does he. I roll my eyes. At least, I'm not ending up like that man’s wife, mindlessly waiting at home for him while he sits at some corner café flirting with some young floozy who is only interested because she sees a suit. Another man at the counter eyes the waitress impatiently, annoyed she is ignoring his need for a refill on his coffee, silently judging her for overtly flirting with the suit. He seems close to giving up and walking out.

There are quite a few people in the small cafe. All, other than me, seem to be oblivious to the shattered world I was feeling implode all around me. None, other than me, seem to feel the shaking. Maybe it is me. I still can't breathe. My ex is heading toward the door. My ex... My ex? Why does that seem so strange? The booth stops shaking.

The man behind me is still now. It is more unsettling now than when he was shaking. It is silent behind me. Why am I noticing this now? He starts shrieking. My ex turns around to see what the sound is; everyone is startled. I feel frozen. The booth almost tumbles as he jumps up causing me to fall into the seat. I thrust myself under the table and bundle myself there between the wall and the metal table leg. I hear nothing but his loud shrieking, people gasping, the little sister crying in the other booth. What's that noise? People are screaming. Is that a gun? What kind of gun makes that noise? It's loud, louder than the people. Screaming, gunshots, shrieking, trampling footsteps as people rush toward the door. I don't hear the little sister anymore, but everyone is either crying or screaming at this point. They're fine, this can't be happening. The sound of metal casings hitting the linoleum ring as a death knell through the little diner. People aren't screaming anymore. The gun clatters to the ground in front of my booth. The man stops shrieking. I watch his feet shuffle past the booth and shortly hear the bell of the door.

I can't breathe.