"The Coffee Drinker"

A character with consistency, that appreciates routine and understands the beauty of a small gesture. While I have written many coffee drinkers into my stories throughout the years, there is one who has been there from the beginning. By beginning I do not mean book one, but book 5 or 6 when coffee became a part of my morning agenda. Sure, this character description could easily describe our transformation from high calorie, absurdly expensive beverages to our love of an in-house mug filled to the brim with the freshest brew. The only element worth highlighting in that tale is the idea of accepting change and changing together. (Okay, not the ONLY thing worth highlighting. I'm fairly certain we were late to school 75% of our senior year of high school because of our addiction and my inability to wake up on time).

For a character that appreciates routine in his daily life, he has managed to be the most willing to tell me that change is in fact, inevitable. For a coffee drinker, change is sometimes as small (yet traumatic) as your favorite barista leaving and no longer having your drink started the moment he or she sees your car pull up. On the other hand, the coffee drinker was the first to encourage life's big changes and constantly reminded me that it would all work out. Somehow. He never allowed me more than a few minutes of doubt and sorrow. He never made empty promises or fully catered to my wildly neurotic way of seeing life. He fueled my optimism and made sure my glass (literally and figuratively) was always at least half full.

The coffee drinker inspires life's little pleasures. Our adventures of exploring new places and brews was once a seemingly small part of my life but has somehow become a time that I revisit on a regular basis. The coffee drinker made this adventure more than crossing something off of my checklist every Sunday afternoon. Through life chats, incredibly embarrassing moments, tears, laughter that took our breath away, and even silence that spoke volumes... I have never found such comfort in being a regular in someone's life. The coffee drinkers might be the easiest characters to love. They are complex, yet make living in this world seem as simple as a cup of coffee.

That brings us to this story, book number eight, which I see as the peak of my 20Something Tale. I no longer have the same consistency with the coffee drinker. At times I feel as though my favorite barista has left me, and while I am still given my caffeine injection of laughter and comfort... it is not the same. The routine has changed for both of us. We continue to encourage each other to find comfort in new opportunities but there is now an existing distance. Our adventures have changed and we have grabbed the hands of others to bring them along on the type of journey that a coffee drinker thrives on. To find pleasure in "the little things" alone would be wasteful. The coffee drinkers alter their routines if it means more happiness and a greater appreciation for life. These characters have a tight grip on loyalty and honesty and trust their hearts. While always striving for more, the coffee drinker is still able to sit back, relax, and drink their coffee while its still hot.

This character is irreplaceable.