Gracious Gallops and Lavender Lattes

I write down some last-minute details in my notebook before putting it away in my duffel bag. I grip my head where the pain stems from and slowly look up to see smiling children playing on the swing set. Their laughter echos through the wind as they run for their next play area. My head swoops down to look at the empty spot on the bench where my coffee should be sitting. The day has become hazy without my favorite flower mug cheering me on with its delicious pool of caffeine simply waiting to be sipped. You know what they say, “A cup of coffee a day keeps the doctors away.” Well, that’s not actually what they say but that's my version at least. I grabbed some migraine medicine out of my duffel bag and stood up too abruptly causing my temple to wreak havoc on the left side of my face. I pop the medicine in my mouth and consider leaving the park, one more smile from a child feels like mockery in the simplest form. I make my way to the nearest coffee shop and hesitate before opening the doors. The flower blooms are so beautiful this time of year, filled with purples, pinks, and oranges. The bees are dancing from one flower to the next, their payment made of honey. I recall a time when my brother and I were playing outside, the sun drenched our skin with effortless light and heat. It wasn’t too long after that we started to turn pink and exhausted. To cool down we ran through the sprinklers that were meant to water the blooming buds which caused an eruption of giggles. I was particularly careful not to step on any of mom's flowers and hopped near the pebbles instead.

“I have an idea, why don’t we play pretend horses?” Asher had a mysterious smirk on his face as he said it.

“Okay!” I graciously galloped around the yard excited that Asher wanted to do something I liked this time.

“Yes!” Asher galloped like a horse, neighing and swinging his hair stomping all over the flowers.

“Asher, no!” I stopped midway of being a gracious horse to push my older brother. “Thats not what I meant! Mooommm!”

~🌸~

I remember the pang in my heart when I saw the remains of flower petals blowing in the wind, some sticking to the pebbles sopping wet. I wish I could say that I knew my brother would turn “playing horses” into a stampede game instead of graceful gallops, but as a 6-year-old sometimes the clues just weren't there. The anger that dwelled up in me that day exploded as I pushed my brother, the shock on his face lived on in my memory. He truly thought stomping on flowers was how we should play, I thought otherwise.

I opened the door to the coffee shop and rammed into what felt like a warm concrete wall.

“Oh, I am so sorry, let me help you up.” A handsomely scrunched face with dark brown eyes looks at me offering a hand.

I take the hand cautiously, “Uh, thanks you.” My body was lifted in an effortless glide into the reality of what I just said.

“Yours Welcome,” he smirked and reached around to his back pocket. He pulled out a black wallet with an eagle on it. He fumbles through it and looks up with a giddy expression “Here, let me buy you a coffee. Do you like lavender? This place has a wicked lavender latte,” he looked at my expression and said, “It also calms the nerves.” His eyebrows raised in surprise but before I could say yes or no, he rambled to the cashier.

He said in a charming yet playful voice, “Yeah, can I get another Lavender latte, make that the biggest size you have please and thank you.” He expressed prayer hands to the cashier and gave a thumbs up in my direction.

“Sure thing, what’s the name on that?” The cashier had a marker ready to imprint on the cup.

“Shoot, let me see.” He looked over at me, steadying his eyes on mine. “Your name, my lady?”

“It’s Clara actually,” as soon as I said it the cashier wrote it on the cup and continued about her day. “What is your name?” We started to walk towards a booth closest to the cashier.

“I am Eric,” he spoke like he was saying I am Groot and extends his arm for a sideways handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, for real this time.” I smiled at him and realized the pain in my head had dissolved. He gestures for me to sit as he makes his way to the other side of the booth.

“I don’t think I have ever tried a Lavender Latte, I appreciate you doing that.”

“Oh, it's the least I can do. I am not going to let you walk out of here without a Lavender Latte. Do you come here often? I don't recall seeing you before.” His eyes squinched, possibly trying to remember my face.

I grin at him studying his face for a few beats. “I do not, I am actually here to see my brother. He wasn’t doing too good, and the service starts tomorrow. We were hoping he could pull through within a reasonable time frame, but he just couldn’t make it.”

“Oh, I am so sorry for your loss.”

“No, wait. That is not what I meant, he is here, he’s alive, he’s just not the best at following orders with tight deadlines.” Erics face morphed into confusion.

“What I mean is, he was supposed to create a service announcement that's due tomorrow for our mom, but he called frantically letting her know he just couldn't think of the right words. So reasonably, I am the only one left to help. I have been trying to come up with something brilliant, but the pressure is building up with how close the deadline is.” The Lavendar Latte makes its way to me, and I take a sip. “Whoa, that is good. I would much rather talk about this."

“I know, I know,” Eric bowed, and a ringtone sounded out at the same time. “I must get this, but I would love to see you sometime if you would care to join me?” He writes his cell number down on a napkin and passes it over. I glance at it and nod in approval.

“Sounds like a plan Eric, I will think about giving you a call.” I winked and he smiled back pretending to swoon as he took the call, and then he walked out of the coffee shop.