Morning Coffee

I walked around the corner to the neighborhood bodega just as the metal grate rolled up. A toasted plain bagel wrapped tight in foil was waiting on the counter, along with a small paper cup of black coffee capped with a plastic lid. I tucked the warm foil parcel under one arm and kept both hands resting lightly on the sides of the paper cup to catch the heat. Leaning against the exterior wooden counter outside the storefront, I took a slow sip. The street was quiet, just a sanitation truck rumbling in the distance.