TOAST

Waiting around after waking up was never an option, so I scrambled up the cabinet handles and hit the smooth kitchen counter. Right in front of me stood a two-slot stainless steel toaster, humming low with the lever already pressed down. Total countdown moment. I paced back and forth across the cool quartz surface, lining up my sneakers with the chrome lever. Just as the internal coils clicked with a sharp snap, two golden slices of toast popped upward like a catapult launch. I leaned low, threw both gloved hands up, and tapped the rising edge of a slice right at peak air before planting my feet into a clean spin back onto the counter. Morning reflexes, tested and certified.