The smell of bitter yet sweet coffee permeated the air of the donut shop. A soft, golden glow crept through the large window of the bakery. Milo took a deep breath and let out a satisfied sigh. Any natural morning person would know that this is an exceptional morning. For someone like Milo to just let this go would be utter blasphemy.
Towards the front of the store, the waitress manned the cash register like anyone else in her line of work. Yet unlike others, this waitress wore a smile that expressed every homey feeling of nostalgia that you would get at your grandparents’ house. Her name is Milia and she’s part of the reason why this donut shop would even have regulars.
As the line shortened, this morning professional could see the bakers, in the back of the shop, topping the donuts with icing. One who appreciates the morning routine of preparement, felt enjoyment since he knew that he would get his donuts guaranteed fresh.
The person in front of him moved to the side and Milo could now clearly see Milia at the register. That sensation of nostalgia pierced his heart when she acknowledged him as the next customer. A feeling of excitement made him smile with glee since ordering his donut and coffee was the official start of his morning.
Approaching the table, Milia cupped her hands and rested them on the cash register, as if this was common practice for her. Very faintly, Milo could smell vanilla perfusing the air around her. His nose tickled with delight as her scent cut the heavy fragrance of coffee hanging in the air.
“Good morning, Milo. Do you want the usual?” Milia said softly. “Or is there something else you would like to try this morning?”
The menu above the shelves of donuts reached from one side of the bakery to the other. Surely, this would feel intimidating to a person who isn’t in the right frame of mind. This was not case for Milo, however. He perused through the large menu and saw a donut that caught his eye, a Boston crème donut with chocolate sprinkles.
“I’ll keep the usual, but I want to add one more donut.” Milo spoke while staring at his selection. “I would like to add the special Boston crème to my order.”
Milia gave a little smirk and started to fiddle with the register monitor. She glanced up from the monitor and winked at Milo. “Yeah, I knew you were going to pick that one. By now, I think I know what your preferences are.”
Giving a soft chuckle in response, Milo pulled out his tattered, leather wallet to take out his credit card. With an outstretch of his hand, he handed over the card to Milia who swiped it on the side of the monitor. After waiting a couple seconds, a quick beep was heard from the speakers.
“Okay, here you are Milo.” She said giving back the credit card. “It was nice seeing you again.”
Placing the card and wallet back in his butt pocket, Milo grabbed his receipt and smiled back at Milia. “Yeah, it was nice to see you too, Milia.”
Following the same steps as the person who was in line before him, he went to the side to wait for his order. A strong fragrance of coffee once more engulfed the air with its bitterness. One of the bakers stood at the counter with a bag and cup of coffee as if he was waiting for someone. Milo knew that this was his order as the whole bakery had no other customer beside him.
“Here you go Milo. Two donuts and a coffee, just the way you like it.” The baker gave a hearty smile and placed the order in his hands. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”
With a small smile and slight nod, he turned towards the entrance of the bakery and proceeded outside. He was a bit blinded since the sun finally uncovered itself from the blanket of the horizon. The hue of light was no longer a deep orange, but they were now the rays of white and yellow. Holding his free hand over his eyes he could now see that cars were now starting to populate the street before him. Morning was no longer his own, but now it was for everyone to feel.
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