Sixteen-ounce drip coffee, splash of cream, no sugar, blueberry scone, two chairs away from the window, back to the wall.

That was Tim. Some might call it boring or predictable. Tim felt it was comforting.

It would happen every so often someone else would sit in the second chair from the window. Tim did not make a fuss. He simple found another chair with his back to the wall. San Clemente is a small town halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego that relied on tourism, but was also the headquarters to several surfing-related companies - i.e. clothing brands, wetsuit manufacturers. The town would swell in size when a surfing competition took place, and when that happened Tim usually just his order to go. He did not like seeing the baristas he knew get overwhelmed by the volume of customers.

But most of the locals knew Tim could be found sipping his 16-ounce drip coffee, splash of cream, no sugar, and breaking apart his blueberry scone while sitting in the chair two spots away from this window at Surfin’ Beans Cafe near Leslie Park, just south of the pier.

He remembered when San Clemente was just known as the closest place for marines from Camp Pendleton to get away. When President Nixon announced he would spend summers here, well that’s when things started to really take off. About 15 years after that, the surf industry realized this place had great waves. Even then, though, more customers did not equate with more problems. Sure, there were growing pains. But the customers themselves were always courteous.

This new batch of tourists were different. Or maybe Tim was different.

He grew up in this town. His father was the second city’s second fire chief. Tim was just named driver engineer when Nixon made his announcement, and it would be another 14 years before he was named chief. He served his community with pride until his retirement when Bill Clinton took office. Geez. Had it really been 30 years?

Tim kept in shape. He played tennis. He went for walks. He never did learn to surf, though. He joked he was the only person in a 50 mile radius who didn’t enjoy the ocean. That wasn’t entirely true. He enjoyed looking at the ocean. But the sand was too hot and ocean was too unknown to him. Still, his 91st birthday was in two months, and no amount of tennis could hide the ravages of time.

He watched what he ate. The only sweets he ate were those blueberry scones every morning. Tim was the reason Surfin’ Bean carried blueberry scones. When they opened right after Tim’s retirement, Surfin’ Bean had breakfast sandwiches. Tim’s wife used to make blueberry muffins. He missed he. She died when he was chief. It was during Ronald Reagan’s first term, but in the lead up to his election against Mondale. Tim was at the office doing payroll when he got a call Nancy fell while walking the dog. In reality she had a brain aneurysm and died before she hit the floor. When Surfin’ Bean opened Tim asked for a muffin, but the owner - Tim remembered when her family came to San Clemente - the owner said they only had scones.

Every time he ate a blueberry scone he thought of Nancy. When he asked her to dance in high school. When they kissed under the now huge oak tree in Leslie Park. Their honeymoon to Mexico. All of the little things they did together. Nancy was the one who pushed him to go for the chief job in the first place. She was also the one who argued at the city council meeting the town needed more locally-owned shops.

Tim was sipping his 16-ounce drip coffee, splash of cream, no sugar, when a group of youngsters he had never seen before threw the door open and caused heads to turn with how loud they were laughing. Tim was surprised, but thought they were just kids. They ordered their drinks with names that took longer to say than the barista took to make it. They complained about the lack of food options. They complained about the prices. They complained about the decorations. They complained about the music. They complained about the name of cafe.

Tim stood up to defend his cafe, his town, his routine.

Suddenly, he felt dizzy, and fell.

“Hi sweetie. I’ve been waiting for you,” Nancy said.