A young couple held hands as they strolled into the open arms of an outdoor cafe, one bordered with flowers that clung to brick walls and dangled from wrought iron gates.
The sun was a bright yellow star in the wide blue sky. It was warm in the light of the sun, cool in the shade.
A playful autumn breeze snatched paper napkins from the tops of bistro tables and ran through the loose hair of the couple, pleased to find a spot in the sun and in the shade.
They glanced at others gathered there that Sunday in the outdoor cafe and studied the menu carefully, consulting with each other about salads and salmon and wood-fired pizza.
A young waiter arrived promptly and took their order, entering the items into a handheld computer. The couple was delighted by the technology and its special bistro application. They laughed softly, leaning forward to speak to each other before settling into their seats.
Maple trees preparing for the solstice freed blushing leaves from their grip while in the eastern sky a modest harvest moon began to rise.
When their orders arrived the couple smiled broadly, thrilled by the artful presentation of caramelized wild mushroom pizza and heirloom tomato salad. They reached for their phones to capture the moment, fingers tap dancing on glass.
An hour later as they calculated the tip and gathered their things the young couple spoke to each other again.
