A little slice of life piece I felt inspired to try and write. I just felt like with how crazy the world is, everyone could use a chance to just relax a little bit.

This is my first time writing something in this style and I apologize in advance if it's a little funky. Any tips on how I can improve would be swell!

I hope you enjoy!

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Steam wafted from the top of Shen’s pumpkin spice latte. With his inhale the scents of coffee and cinnamon entered his nose. On his exhale he blew gently onto his drink. Too hard and it may have spilled, too soft and it wouldn’t cool.

Coffee was itself a delicate thing. One had to get the proper amounts of grounds, water, cream and sugar otherwise the whole experience was ruined. Normally the Ethiopian wolf would’ve opted for a dark roast but the autumn air had him feeling more festive.

So he sat with his pumpkin drink and took in the shop around him.

Java-rdvark was the longest running cafe in town. To be more precise, the family of aardvarks that owned it had been part of the town’s founding members. And thus it sat today, passed on from generation to generation.

The mug warmed his sandy paws as he picked up the latte seated in front of him. Shen took a small sip of his drink, careful to avoid burning himself. He looked over at the barista. Ava ran around making drinks and heating up breakfast sandwiches. The canine would’ve told everyone in the world that Ava could make the best cup of joe this side of the Mississippi.

When he originally moved to the small smudge on a map that was Roc, his first meal was in this room. From his now usual spot at the counter, he could see the recliner where he first sat.

Scared and on his own for the first time, he’d sat there because the chair was set a little off to the side. The red wolf wanted to meet people, but he was a little too anxious at first. That spot offered him a chance to observe the other residents without having to interact with them quite yet.

Alone he had sat until Ava brought him his order. Having only his book for company, he’d thanked her for his drink and went right back to reading. The barista turned, took one step forward and paused.

As she swung back around the brown mammal introduced herself, “Hi I’m Ava! I don’t think I’ve ever seen your face around here before. Are you just passing through?”

Taken a bit by surprise, Shen fumbled with his book before giving a response. “No, I uh, actually just moved here tonight. This is my first night out on my own.” He felt pride adding that last part. No more parents to look over his shoulder or nag him about this and that.

Her face lit up upon learning about this. As they talked, Shen learned there weren’t a lot of people that voluntarily moved to the town. Making his appearance something of a special occasion. The wolf was grateful for her conversation skills. She asked good questions to keep him talking and responded with her own anecdotes in response. He was on the verge of breaking out of his shell.

“That’s exactly what my dad always said to me, ‘You can never-’” The rest of the sentence caught on her tongue as she realized a customer just entered. “Sorry gotta run.” Just as quickly as they’d met, she was back doing what she clearly loved.

Settling back with his coffee, he took the first sip of what would become a daily routine for him. Caffeine was the drug that kept Shen’s body moving. Ever since grinding through late night college projects, the brown elixir had been a staple in his life. This made it vital for him to find a good source of the stuff in Roc.

The unique spice in the aroma and the nuttyness of the flavour is what sold Shen on Java-rdvark. One sip was all it took to know how special this place was.

During his visits throughout the next couple of weeks, Ava became his first close friend and helped introduce him to the other regular customers. Eventually he felt welcome sitting up at the counter instead of off to the side. Sure buying a coffee was more expensive than making it on his own, but he understood he wasn’t just paying for the coffee. He was paying for the company as well.

The canine’s tongue lapped up on the whipped cream that hadn’t melted yet. Glancing around the restaurant he checked in on how everyone else was doing.

They weren’t friends in the “visit each other’s houses” sense, but rather very good acquaintances that all met at the same stopping point. If you needed someone to talk to, everyone was always open and available.

Taraya, an angel dragon, was sitting at her little round table. It wasn’t uncommon for her to spend a full 12 hours sitting at that table working on business deals. Shen loved hearing the ins and outs of running a successful business from her, so much so, that it became a goal for his future.

By the looks of it, she seemed to be taking a day off. Her feathers and fur matched the drink in her hand perfectly. Hot chocolate hinted at a day of relaxation which starkly contrasted her usual double espresso shot she used to get a boost of energy.

He smiled and thought to himself, ‘If anybody needed a break it was her.’

Swirling the contents of his cup to mix in the cinnamon that had filtered to the top, he moved onto the person who he could always count on for a laugh. Alain was a snow leopard who’d come from outside of the country looking for a better life.

Somehow the winds of fate stopped gusting at this store. In a more literal sense, his car ran out of gas right outside. He’d heard the story countless times from Alain himself, always adding in an extra detail or jab at his own carelessness. There remained only one constant throughout every telling. The kindness that everyone had shown him was what kept him from driving off.

Alain had been the first fur other than Ava to open up to him and make him feel welcome. His smile and quick wit made for enjoyable discussions.

Speaking of discussions, the last three of the usual patrons present were deep in verbal combat. His ears were large and could pick up what they were saying, but he hated eavesdropping and as such chose to never do so.
He liked to think they were solving the world’s greatest mysteries. Is cereal a soup? Why are trees? The possibilities were endless.

The trio was made up of 2 coyotes and a moose. Jack and Jane were the cute canine couple that had been together for as long as anyone else could remember. Separately they were shy but together they were a force. It was common to not even get a single word in when talking with them.

Like a ping pong match, your eyes would be bouncing back and forth between the two of them. Terry the moose appeared to be caught in this exact situation.

Every once in a while he’d try and interject, but his voice would get drowned out. Finally Shen watched as he raised his voice at the coyotes, forcing them to notice him again. Jack and Jane apologized profusely as they hadn’t realized what they were doing.

Being an albino moose had left him open to teasing as a younger calf and that made him the last of typical customers to accept Shen as part of the group. But, his heart was big as his antlers, massive. Once he let down his guard he was like a big teddy bear. He could always be counted on if help was needed.

Finishing off the last of his drink, he shut his eyes and smiled. Life wasn’t easy, but being here made the daily struggle seem worth it.

Everyone he’d met in Roc was special in their own way. And while he didn’t know what path the rest of his life would take, he was certain about one thing. He was home.