Comfort in a Cup

Taylor Larick

Ms. Hanigan

AP Language & Composition

January 13, 2016

Comfort in a Cup

"Taylor!" the barista announced. I smiled, grabbed my coffee mug, and sat down by the window. While snow whirled around the dreary landscape in the window, I held my coffee mug with both hands. Warmth radiated from the mug like the old electric blanket at Grandma’s house. I watched as the creamy top layer of my drink swirled, forming mesmerizing patterns. A bubble journeyed atop the layer; a teenager traveled through the cold for a coffee. I imagined what the first sip would taste like. I planned to savor the moment, as well as the warmth that I knew would follow. Careful not to burn my tongue, I cautiously raised the mug towards my mouth, propping the mug on my lip and tilting it upwards. The earthy aroma of freshly ground coffee invaded my nostrils, and a sip of the gourmet java entered my mouth. It did not scald my tongue, it merely glanced past my taste buds. At first, I cringed at the bitter taste of the extra expresso shot as it cascaded down my throat, however, a sweet aftertaste from the pump of chocolate promptly spread. This aftertaste foreshadowed the reason I came to the coffee shop. Liquid warmth blossomed from my head to my toes. I began to regain feeling in my fingers like a child sitting by the fireplace after sledding all day. The coffee enveloped my body like a mother’s warm hug waiting inside on a cold day. Meanwhile, snow continued to gust outside, and I once again held onto my coffee mug with both hands, absorbing the heat emanating outwards. I had previously contemplated the value of going out for coffee on that cold day, but at that moment, I realized the drink comforted my soul on that blustery afternoon.