“Congratulations,” said a small voice coming from inside the patio of Bob’s Well Bread as I stepped into the patio, shaking off the pebbles stuck in my stiletto from the driveway. She saw the confused look on my face and repeated, “Congratulations, I see the grass rings on your fingers.”

I blushed slightly and laughed with my companion, as we stood there waiting to order our breakfast. I looked around at the decore and realized Bob’s Well Bread was a French Cafe in central California. We both agreed the day before that France would be an ideal honeymoon spot. The small voice had a strange ring that I now realize is a French accent.

As I continued to look around, I saw her recount the people she had just witnessed to her husband sitting across from her. She gave him a look that made me feel like intruding on her privacy. Her look lingered on him that communicated desire, admiration, and thankfulness. He responded by leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on her lips. 

The whole exchange lasted less than sixty seconds, and all the while, their teenage son sat next to her on his iPhone, oblivious to the intimate exchange between the two people that gave him life.

Ten minutes later, after we advanced about six feet in line, she approached us before leaving the restaurant to introduce herself and gave us her number to call her when we returned. She wanted to give us a wedding gift.

Bob’s Well Bread Patio, Solvang, CA, March 14, 2022.