The Coffee Shop
It was a cold Spring morning, the trees were ripe with new growth, the birds chirping away their morning greetings. As I closed my car door, I simply stood there and admired the poetic moments of Spring around me. Just as new life was born in the season, with the hope of life anew; the world itself seemed to have the promise of a better, more happy tomorrow. As COVID-19 numbers fell, a semblance of normalcy returned to the land one day at a time. I stepped forward towards my destination and felt my eyes begin to swell with tears; I stepped forward more urgently as I saw my destination growing larger with each passing step. I reached the front door and took a small breath as my hand reached forth and grasped the handle to the glass door. I pulled it open and was greeted with the most wonderful smell in the world; freshly poured coffee. The sound of milk froth and espresso machines pierced the light conversation that took place in the room. I looked to my left and saw the very person I had come to meet, my best friend. Joy overtook my heart as we were once again in the very place where our friendship was forged; where we spent hours upon hours simply talking, sharing our life together over a simple cup of coffee. We loved nothing more than just sitting with our coffee and being present in the moment with each other. Time itself would become irrelevant as we shared in this one singular activity, an activity that had been ripped away from us for so very long; yet today, in this place, that was to end.
I found my way to her and sat down in our favorite table, a table near the window overlooking a few trees and a water feature. We had always found the spot so peaceful, in this little corner of the world it was just us. I sat down and looked into her eyes as a single joyful tear ran down her cheek. We struggled to find words worthy of the occasion; I racked my brain in a vain attempt to say something that would capture the essence of this moment. Before I could blurt out some nonsensical movie quote, she simply looked at me and said, “Welcome home.”
Home. That is what this little corner had become for us. A place of joy, a place of absolutely wonderful memories. We stood up and walked over to the counter, where we are greeted by our favorite barista, who looked overjoyed to see us back together in our favorite coffee shop. The last year became nothing but a dream as we were reunited in what had become a normal occurrence through the years. She asked us if we wanted our usual, which we eagerly agreed to. Our usual order consisted of two hot caramel lattes, filled to the brim of a large mug with extra caramel drizzle gracing the cup. We smiled back at our barista and returned to our little corner of the world. The anticipation stirred within us as we talked; our eyes drifting back and forth from the counter to each other. Finally, the promised moment arrived when our lattes were placed on the counter, ready to once again be picked up. I burst forth from my seat like a lion pouncing towards its prey. As the whiffs of caramel and espresso reached my nose, I felt as if all was right. The dopamine released by this wonderful, nostalgic smell, that was tied to so many wonderful memories in this very coffee shop brought a smile across my face that stretched from ear to ear. I returned to my lovely best friend as she simply looked up at me and the two cups which I held onto so dearly. I placed one in front of my seat, and another in front of her. As the smell hit her, she simply smiled; a smile that I had missed so dearly. We sat together with our coffee, and once again, settled into hours of conversation as time itself lost its meaning and all that mattered was each other and our coffee in our favorite coffee shop.
