4. Character Actress
The transfer from Corinthian Labs for the first consultation clears, so I set the alarm early and stop at the donut shop at the end of my morning run. I get a custard one, Dad’s favorite, to leave out for when he wakes up from his afterhours display-change shift.
I may not be able to enjoy the treats he sometimes leaves for me, Oreos and Twinkies, saturated fat-filled throwbacks to my childhood, or break it to him that I can’t, but I can return the gesture.
I block out the smells of oil and sugar and focus on the helpfully strong aroma of the coffee I get for myself. By the time I get home to our never-fixed fixer-upper and get myself rinsed off and dressed, it’s the perfect temperature to sip while I wait for Sophie out on the curb.
With nothing in it but a packet
