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Prompt 13 (Sweet Treats) : There’s no shortage of holiday themed popup shops and specials at your local places, and after a long day there’s nothing better than a nice treat for yourself. Maybe you decided to try something new, maybe it was a gift, maybe you got one of the coupons in the mail to try the place out–however you wound up with this drink, you’re in for a good time. No matter what your preferences are, the drink is delicious. Hot, cold, sweet, bitter–there’s a version of it for everyone. But, the flavor isn’t what makes the drink so special–it’s how good it makes you feel. There’s no alcohol in it, but drinking it can leave someone feeling tipsy, warm, and in a general good mood. Inhibitions aren’t lowered and there’s no negative repercussions for having the drink; it might make children more hyper, but the drink just has the ability to put someone in a pleasant mood.
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He had been spirling, even he knew it. It started so simply. A flash, a memory, a smell, a laugh. That's all it took to spark that moment in his mind. He had quite a few of those types of moments but he was normally able to work through them. Between running, camping, his family, his friends, and his love. They were what kept him centered but sometimes… sometimes that wasn’t enough. Times like this.
Pat had spent the morning at the therapist’s office, doing his best to work through the thoughts and memories that were currently haunting him. While it helped it wasn’t a fast fix. It never was. So he did what he could to work through it the only way he knew how, he went out on a run. Camping was out, it was the middle of winter. His family was dealing with enough and his girl was busy with her own things, so that left running. Exercising. Getting lost in the feel of his feet pounding the ground and the muscles stretching. His heart beating, reminding him that he was still alive. That there was still more for him to do. More to help.
It didn’t work all the time, or even most of the time, but it helped. It helped, and that's all that mattered at that moment as he ran through one of his local parks, his breath fogging the frigid air. The cold actually burned his lungs some, his nose long since numbed to the cold. He was dressed for the cold but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel it. After an hour of running he was sufficiently tired, and cold, to call it quits for the day. It was nearing dinner time anyway and he had places he needed to be, it was the holiday season after all. In some ways that made it so much harder for him.
The redhead was walking out of the park, ‘cooling’ down from his run, when he passed a stall selling hot drinks. The smell was what drew him closer, that and the idea of something warm to keep his fingers toasty as he finished his walk back to his apartment. Money exchanged, drink passed over, and Pat was on his way enjoying the aroma of the warm drink. The first sip was pleasant, the second even more so. It was less about the taste at first and more about the general heat it provided but as he drank more and more he became more relaxed.
He just stopped. At least mentally. His thoughts, his shadows, his nightmares haunting his every step just faded away with each gulp. Each swallow warmed both his body and his soul, as cheesy as that sounds. Maybe it was just the warmth of the drink. Maybe it was the happiness of the seller as they wished him a wonderful night. Maybe it was just the beautifully lit city sparkling in the winter evening. Something, or all of it, was helping to lift his spirits. The coldness that he had felt was easing and for the first time in a while he smiled, a true smile, one that wasn’t forced in any way. A smile that he couldn’t help when a little girl in front of him looked back and smiled at him, her two front teeth missing, making him think of that holiday song. He returned that smile and added a small wave, the little girl waved back before she crossed the street with her folks.
Pat finished up his drink, humming the little jingle ‘All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth’ not willing to question the turnaround of his thoughts. He was happy. That's all that mattered.
