Spark

“God, I love you.” She puts the sign back down. “Come downstairs and let me get some coffee in you. We’ll talk.” She walks over to me, giving me a kiss on the cheek and a hug. “No protest.”

“I make no promises.”

She laughs more as she leaves my place, heading down the stairs. I walk into my bathroom to the sink. I turn the water on and begin to wash my face. Once I’m done I brush my teeth and look at myself in the mirror. I can’t help but laugh at my own antics when it came to my sign. I’ve got marker and glitter all over my cheeks. It’s all in my hair too. The colors easily show up in my blond-white hair. I pull it into a messy bun because I’m not fighting the glitter battle right now. Maybe I should have thought out the supplies I used a little better. All of this sparkly stuff may not have been the best idea but I needed the sign to draw attention. I know shiny things always get my attention.

I wash it off the best I can but some lingers. I throw in the towel before finding some bright pink yoga pants and a shirt. I slip on my sneakers and head down the stairs. I can get fully dressed later, I tell myself. Coffee first. It is much needed right now. I pass through the kitchen, going straight for Millie’s small office. I drop down onto the love seat she has in there. I truly love this place. It’s home to me. It’s the nicest place I’ve ever lived in. I make myself comfortable as Millie pours me a cup of coffee.

I let out a long sigh as I take my first sip. “Hit the spot?” Millie laughs. She does a few clicks on her computer before closing out whatever it is she is doing.

“Yep. Thanks.” I take another big gulp. I close my eyes and enjoy the taste of the coffee. Millie makes the best cup of coffee in the state. I would bet my life on it. She takes pride in making it and she’s well versed in everything coffee. She uses the best small batch coffee roasters in the area to bring each patron a cup of deliciousness.

“Good, then I won’t have to hit you.” Even as she says it she smacks my thigh. I scream louder than I should, knowing that it doesn’t actually hurt.

“You’re not protesting the new coffee shop.” She points her finger at me.

“There any muffins left?” I ask, changing the subject because no matter what she says I can’t lie back and do nothing as she and Mike lose everything that they’ve worked so hard for.

“No, there are never any left.” Damn it. It’s bittersweet that they sold out. Yay for the sales but boo because now there is nothing left for me to eat. I’ll try and make more next time. I am pretty much at my limit though. I can only bake so much with the small kitchen the coffee shop has. It wasn’t meant to even serve baked goods but then I showed up looking for a job. I have to be very creative in my use of space but I make it work.

Millie took me in and that’s when we all learned I was the world’s worst coffee maker. She really didn’t want to fire me. I felt a bond with them rather quickly. So much so that they let me crash at their place when they found out I was staying at a motel. I decided I could cook for them. It was the least I could do to help with their little boys.

There have been two things I’ve always been good at: baking sweet treats and handling little munchkins. If life was a little different maybe I could have gone to school for one of them. Life doesn’t always go as planned and I’ve learned to not go down without a fight even when the odds are against you. Fighting can sometimes give you a little more time and that’s all you can hope for.

“It will be fine.” Millie tries to talk me down. She and her husband put everything into this shop. They’ve made it into something and have talked about opening a second location. Now with Brewed Awakening moving in next door who knows what will happen? They could easily run us out of business. It doesn’t help that Millie made an offer on the space next door so she could expand. Not only did she not get it, but now the new tenant could bring everything tumbling to the ground. “Mike and I didn’t come this far to be taken out so easily. Between our coffee and your breakfast goodies we aren’t going anywhere.” She sounds so confident. I wish I had a little of that. She gives me a bright smile.