Cold Coffee

I take a sip of hot coffee and sit at my computer.
There are ten new emails and a Facebook feed to check.
My friend posted pictures of her kid's birthday party.
My rent is due tomorrow!
I hear yelling and swivel in my chair
To see my daughter yanking her car
Out of her brother's hands, and he begins to cry.
Then the phone rings and the washing machine chimes
And my daughter wants to play dolls with me.

Soon both kids are hungry, so I give them a gummy snack.
I put my forgotten coffee in the microwave to heat it up.
Then we play Follow the Leader and walk in circles to the couch
Where my son insists on having a pillow on his lap
And my daughter asks to watch The Magic School Bus.
I grab my coffee from the microwave and take a sip.
I crush some candy and feed the dragons on my phone,
Then rush to stop my son from eating spilled food off the floor.
He wants me to play with his cars. Beep Beep! Crash! Let's race!

The dryer beeps, and my son helps me put the warm clothes
Into a basket. Then he cries when I say we're done
Because he can't push the button to start an empty washer.
Not long after, it's time for lunch and my daughter wants
To eat the same foods she had yesterday and the day before:
Cheese, pickles, pepperoni, and strawberries with orange juice.
After they eat, I cuddle with my son and put him down for a nap,
And my daughter plays quietly in her room with Legos.
I go back downstairs, eat my own lunch, and clean up more dishes.

I see my Pinkie Pie mug sitting on the counter next to the sink.
It is half full of forgotten cold coffee.
I dump it and rinse it and start all over again.
I turn on the Keurig, pop a k-cup in the machine, and fill it with water.
I place my mug on the tray and press the brew button.
I add two spoons of sugar and some milk to the coffee and stir.
Then I take a sip of my hot Hazelnut coffee. It's perfect.
I sit at my computer. I check Facebook. I check my email.
I hear my son crying from his crib and my daughter calling "Mommy!" from her room.
I get up and walk upstairs, leaving behind my hot cup of coffee,
Knowing by the time I remember to drink it, it'll be cold.

Written by Candace Shultz