Nine in the morning, to Starbucks down Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, When I asked for a cloud macchiato, what I really meant was, we only came here to avoid the crutches of dim lighting and alcohol, and I was ordering the first thing on the menu because the date I was with had my mind adrift - slow dancing atop the cumulus clouds to the sounds of Lo-fi music in the sun-baked summer; closing my eyes and imagining how something so good could already hurt so much if she’s not there. Instead of saying that, I grasped what brain cells two hours til noon had to offer, and I ordered the first thing on display. To be honest, I didn’t even know what a cloud macchiato was. Or a macchiato, for that matter. But as far as coffee is concerned, I have decided, is the best thing to ever grace a conversation. That first sip had us chuckling along the trails of Brook Run Park, then whispering behind the customers in line for more caffeine at Sharetea, next we drove off to meet my sister and brother for an unrehearsed interview of why I felt compelled to introduce Maria to them on Our. First. Date. And finally, sitting beneath the roaring fireworks on the eleventh hour while imagining not having enough ink in the metaphoric pen to write all there is on this ‘slow-sipping on a Venti’ type date. *Deep breath* ..And that was just Maria’s and Brian’s first date.