“What street is the bakery on? It’s downtown right?” Mr Lee asked as Skyler got in. He started the car up, and the old Ford buzzed to life. 

Skyler quickly pulled his phone and read it off, “808 Washtenaw Avenue,”

“Alright.” Pressing his foot into the brake and switching his car to reverse, Mr Lee looked over his shoulder, steadying himself with an outstretched arm on the back of Skyler’s seat. “You can take aux, or just turn the radio on. There isn’t any bluetooth.”

“Oh, sure!” Skyler answered quickly as he grabbed the cord and plugged his phone in. “Do you want me to put directions on?” He scrolled through his music for a few moments before a familiar drum kick began playing softly through the speakers of Mr Lee’s car. The smile returned to Mr Lee’s face.

“No, that’s alright. There is a city parking lot I know of down on that end of Washtenaw, I’ll park there and we can walk over.” Mr Lee said as he pulled out of the school lot and they began driving while humming along to the familiar tune. “Are you a big Sia fan? I don’t remember us ever talking about her back when you were in school. This has been my favourite album since when I was in college.”

“I like her a lot. I’ve been listening to her since high school.” Skyler answered as if he hadn’t spent the entire week listening to Sia’s discography trying to learn every album front and back.

“Yeah? I bet you heard her in my classroom at some point then, I played music in my classroom alot more back then.”

Skyler didn’t mention how he only listened to Sia because he’d heard her in Mr Lee’s classroom, rather he just asked “Why don’t you play music in the classroom these days? I always found it nice to study alongside.”

“Is that how it came off? No, I still play music sometimes just– just not these last few months. I’ve just been too distracted to think of it, I actually played some music over lunch when some kids were studying today. It was a Sia album too actually, “Color The Small One”. That one’s a nice one for studying, it’s pretty relaxed and subdued so it doesn’t distract you too much. But the lyrics… the songs are still great.” Skyler listened along as Mr Lee spoke, and observed the other close. He watched how he used a turn signal at every stop sign and junction even if no one was around. He noticed how Mr Lee’s eyes followed a circuit of the road in front of him, to the rearview mirror, to his speed and then back to the road.

“So when did you get this car? It’s nice and spacious,” Skyler said leaning his seat back, still watching Mr Lee closely.

“Spacious?” Mr Lee laughed a little at, Skyler wished he hadn’t leaned back now because Mr Lee’s genuine smile was hidden from him now. He remembered from high school, that the days when Mr Lee laughed a lot were the days his face was the most fun to sketch. Something about his smile was different those times. “It’s size is about the only objectively positive quality of this old car, but its reliable I’ll give her that. My parents got it sometime after we moved to America, about when I was I started highschool school probably, and then they gave it to me when they moved back to Hong Kong in 2016.”

“Your family is in Hong Kong? I never knew that, do you visit them alot?” Skyler asked, over all these years of checking Mr Lee’s social media –which was sparse– he’d never seen any details about the man’s family. He wasn’t the chronic poster type of person.

“Not much no, I went over for the dragon boat festival in June three years back but not since. I always get up early to talk with them on holiday dinner though.”

“That’s nice, it can be hard having family you don’t see often.” Skyler answered as his phone buzzed. Chloe had texted. 

Need a ride?

His response was easy; No.

“Do you have family near by?” Mr Lee asked, putting the Skyler in the ‘hot seat’ now.

“Yeah, my aunt still lives in town and she comes by the studio to give me lunch at least once a week. My parents– they are always too busy to meet up with, they are both on separate different continents right now.”

“They travel a lot? Did you go to fun places with them as a kid?”

“No, they always travel for business. I’d stay with Chloe or my aunt.” Skyler rubbed the top of his thumb while he spoke, the pressure against his thumb calming. 

“Oh.” Mr Lee said, his eyes deviated from their circuit as they looked at Skyler’s hands as they fiddled. That man’s gaze instantly stopped Skyler’s fingers, his side profile looked nice in this light– Mr Lee’s jawline was sharp, or rather his face was a little gaunt. His eyes leaving Skyler’s hands, Mr Lee commented “It’s nice you had people close to you to spend time with.” Had that man even realised the haste he’d looked at Skyler’s hands with? Had he even realised the effect a simple glance from him had on Skyler?

“Yeah, that was nice, I guess.” Skyler turned to face the window as the city rolled past them. Everything was still basking in the sunlight's warm glow. They drove in silence after that, silence save for the music of Sia and Mr Lee, who hummed along to every song.

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Skyler’s eyes refocused and he noticed the car had stopped moving and the Sia had stopped playing. “Did you fall asleep? We’re parked now. It should only be a few minutes' walk to the place.” Mr Lee said softly as he smiled at Skyler. He wasn’t in the driver's seat, rather Mr Lee had already gotten out and walked around to Skyler’s side. “It’s just like that first day of class again, isn’t it? You dozing off,” Mr Lee smiled as he turned and walked towards the street, Skyler in slow pursuit after he got out of his seat. The car lock sounded behind Skyler, and that was the last thing to distract him from Mr Lee.

That man, just him walking towards the street in slacks and a cardigan– it was strange how conflicted Skyler felt. He liked it, no he loved it that Mr Lee remembered that first day of class, their first meeting, but; a new fear rose up within him. 

Did Mr Lee still see him as that high school student? Was he still that timid young boy in Mr Lee’s eyes?

Skyler jogged a little to catch up with Mr Lee who had waited for him at the edge of the sidewalk. “808 you said? It should be this way.” Skyler just nodded as Mr Lee spoke, even the smile on that man’s face only deepened Skyler’s fear now. Was it genuine, or was that just the smile of a polite teacher when he spoke to a former teacher? Was that just a ‘business smile’ as Skyler’s parents had taught him, these two men were colleagues now after all. Skyler wished it was genuine, but if it had to be fake he prayed it’d be the latter. If they were on equal footing Skyler could change Mr Lee’s mind of him. he prayed to all gods that Mr Lee would see them on equal footing.

“It’s nice the weather is getting warmer,” Skyler said as he and Mr Lee turned left out onto the sidewalk.

“Is it? I’m always so cold.” Mr Lee smiled, “That’s what the coffee is for.”

‘Then why do your eyes look wrecked,’ Skyler's heart called out, but he suppressed that question. “Do you always wear cardigans to school?”

“I always have in the fall, and winter, but usually by spring I wear something lighter. I’ve just been running cold these last few months.”

In Skyler’s memories, Mr Lee wore cardigans of course, but in that last memory– on graduation day he remembered Mr Lee in something else, or maybe that was just the effect of six years.

“Well hopefully you feel the warmth soon,” Skyler said as he and Mr Lee walked. Maybe there were chances he’d be seen as something other than he prayed– but perception could change, Skyler had to be glad he at least had this.

Mr Lee didn’t reply after that, as they walked to the patisserie Skyler had found. A cool breeze blew past as they walked along the street, but where Skyler closed his eyes and let the breeze wash over him, Mr Lee only crossed his arms tighter.

The little bell attached to the door jingled as Mr Lee and Skyler entered the bakery, Skyler had taken a rushed step ahead to open it. From behind Mr Lee, he could see as the man’s shoulders relaxed and his tight posture unfurled in the warmth of the bakery. Stepping inside, Skyler also felt the warmth and was bombarded by the smell of fresh baked goods.

“I’ll go get a table if you want to look at the menu,” Mr Lee said, “I’ll maybe get something to eat after we’ve talked for a little.”

“Alright,” Skyler said smiling, he watched as Mr Lee made his way to a small table by the window and pulled out his yellow legal pad of notes. It wasn’t long before he was at the front of the line, and with a smile Skyler ordered;

“One black drip-coffee, a Lavender London Fog tea latte with soy milk, a chocolate croissant, that raspberry cookie, two of the brown macarons, and… ooh! a slice of the coffee cake.”