The erratic ding of the bell every time a customer walks into the store. The hiss and screech of the espresso machine. “Short mocha,” the barista calls. “Thank you,” the customer says.
The crinkle of the bag the blueberry muffin is in. “Split it?” one half of a couple asks and the other half agrees. Laughter, and the scootch of chairs moving closer to the table and to each other.
Music overhead is wordless and seems to weave its way into all the sounds and conversations: ice clinking into plastic cups. “This one doesn’t have whipped cream.” Keys put in coat pockets. “OK, so it started like this.” The whiff of a napkin being pulled from its canister. “I’m so glad to see you.”
A man taps on his cane with his shoe to the beat of the music. He is smiling.
Snow is falling horizontal and then the winds stops and the flakes swirl on their way down to the street. It’s too early to tell if anything will collect.
Grinning ear to ear- you captured this so well! There’s a coffee shop on Capitol Hill in Seattle I used to study at all the time in college and this just transported me right back there.
I felt like I was right there with you in the coffee shop.
I feel warm inside after reading this, like I was sitting right there, watching the horizontal snowfall amidst all these moments.