The Day Ethan Cole Got Sick — And Greyhaven Refused to Let Him Be Alone
Chapter 7
By the fourth morning, Ethan could walk without the room moving.
He showered.
Dressed.
Made coffee.
Then stood in the kitchen staring at the front door.
He wanted to go to work.
Every instinct told him to.
But Walter’s voice came back.
No work.
Ethan sighed.
He sat down.
His phone buzzed.
June.
Don’t even think about it.
Ethan stared at the message.
He typed:
How do you know what I’m thinking?
Her response:
Because I’ve met you.
He smiled.
Another message came.
Come to the diner when you’re ready.
He hesitated.
Then grabbed his jacket.
The walk to the diner took longer than usual.
But he made it.
When he entered, June looked up.
Her face changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Relief.
“You’re upright.”
“Apparently.”
She brought coffee.
Ethan took a sip.
It tasted incredible.
June sat across from him.
“How are you?”
Ethan thought.
“I’m better.”
“Good.”
They sat quietly.
Then Ethan said:
“I don’t understand something.”
June waited.
“Why did everyone come?”
She knew what he meant.
“Because you were sick.”
“People get sick all the time.”
“Not everyone is Ethan Cole.”
He looked at her.
She smiled.
“You’ve spent months helping people here.”
“That’s different.”
“Why?”
“I was working.”
“No.”
June shook her head.
“You were becoming part of the town.”
Ethan looked down at his coffee.
She continued.
“You fixed boats for people who couldn’t afford repairs.”
“You helped during the storm.”
“You stayed late when the harbor needed work.”
“You helped Lily with her bicycle.”
Ethan shrugged.
“Anyone would.”
June smiled.
“Maybe.”
She leaned forward.
“But not everyone did.”
Ethan didn’t answer.
June took a sip of coffee.
“People notice.”
Those words stayed with him.
People notice.
He had spent years trying not to be noticed.
Greyhaven had done the opposite.
It had seen him.
And somehow, that had become comforting.
