Coffee, Leaves, and Wagging Tails

Most mornings, he grabbed his cup of coffee and disappeared into his office for another morning of clacking away while listening to the podcast fitting the moment.

In retrospect, a perspective uncovered at this very singular moment, he realized that wasn’t true. It wasn’t his routine most mornings, it was every single morning.

Save this one.

It was a perfect cup of joe, mostly in that it was warm and present, by his estimate the two most important traits of any cup of coffee. He took a deep inhale, savoring the aroma of the roasted beans grown half a world away that once built empires, and chased the scent down with a hearty gulp. On such a crisp fall morning, the interplay of heat, sweetness from sugar also once a luxury that gathered proverbial dust in its countertop container, and creamy goodness from a cow–er almonds in truth, the modern world and all its wonders–felt as good as donning an Irish wool sweater, which coincidentally he had just done–a splurge of his most recent trip across the pond. The spoils of entire centuries of empire, right here in a tranquil acre as the leaves fell over his manicured, yet still somewhat wild, lawn.

On that trip to the Emerald Isle, they bought his niece a stuffed sheep from the weaver’s cottage, which she promptly named “U-U” and discovered how cool castles were. One day, he’d remind her of that, of how prescient her babbling was, and they’d all have a good hearty laugh. He imagined it would be beside a fire, bellies full, with piano music in the crisp winter air.

Yes, every morning, he grabbed his cup of coffee and disappeared into his office for another morning of clacking away while listening to the podcast fitting the moment.

Not this one though. This morning such wonderful wealth deserved its moment atop the podium under a Champagne shower and Forza chanting fans.

As if to share in the spoils, both his pups, each one from half a world away, nudged his elbows, demanding their Imperial veneration. They were the real lords of the realm, after all; their demands were just.

The wider world could wait. There was an entire empire unto itself right here, right now, for a fleeting yet eternal moment.

(And then he turned on his podcast–an outstanding survey of the defense of Malta during the Second World War. Not exactly cheery but profoundly interesting)

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A/N:

Enjoying the irony of posting this the day before a blizzard is supposed to hit. Somewhat, mostly inspired by real events.

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