This was written for Carrot Ranch’s Flash Fiction Challenge. Each week’s challenge is to write to a prompt in exactly 99 words. This week’s prompt is to write about the greatest gift.
I started pondering, what is the greatest gift? Life? Love? Hope? A new car? A puppy? Whatever Oprah put under your seat? Muhammad Ali? An argument could be made for any and all of those. The greatest gift is something that could be highly personal, specific to each of us. I could think it’s love. Someone else might think it’s an iPad. I picked what I think is the greatest gift for the character in my story.
A.C.V.M.M.B.
Don went to the same coffee shop and sat at the same table. He sipped his coffee and played with his phone. No calls. No texts. He saw the same people, but no one spoke to him.
When his drink was gone, he returned to his empty apartment.
He went back the next day. This time, he was greeted by a wave and a smile.
“Hi, Don. Apple cinnamon vanilla matcha macchiato blend?”
He looked up, smiled shyly, and said, “Yes, please. Thanks, Alice.”
She gave him the greatest gift of all, an apple cinnamon vanilla matcha macchiato blend.
NobbinBlog 
Sometimes it’s the simplest things. Can I get one to go?
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No. They’re highly flammable and must be consumed in a controlled environment.
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All that and a smile too. Made me smile reading it.
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It’s supposed to be a serious story buried in silly. I’m glad it made you smile.
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Yeah, I got that.
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Yes, the greatest gift is highly personal. I love how you made this character round through coffee and interaction.
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Thank you, Charli. Interaction was all he wanted and needed.
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beautiful story. it’s amazing how just making a simple connection can brighten one’s day.
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It is. Especially these days when everyone is burried in their phones, actual eye contact is a minor miracle.
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