It was comforting to flip him off 

A street lamp glowed on his full set of teeth

He returned the favor, hiding all but the third digit of his fingerless glove

A soft, plaid blue scarf hugged his stubbled chin

Our feet slapped concrete the sidewalk and created their own heat

The leaves, goldening, crinkled at me

Detached residences and ranch houses fell behind us 

I tucked my hands deeper into my coat’s jean-textured pockets

I squinted as wind berated my eyes

We paced toward Kwik Trip

By degrees, it shone its lights onto us

Our hands pushed the metal bars of its glass doors 

Our flexible soles stepped onto sandstone tiles

Frosted donuts and slices of vanilla iced cake accompanied brownies

on a tablecloth with decorated with marigold and bronze leaves

Endorphins replaced the fog in my head 

My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth

“Should I buy a brownie?” 

My shoulders slumped

My lungs let out a groan

His widely spread mouth relaxed 

His teeth returned to a veil behind his lips.

Sweating in his hands were two chocolate shakes in plastic cups that said “F’real” 

He furrowed his brows and his eyes focused briefly 

He muttered, “ Just do it. It could be your last one.”  

My feet stayed put and my mouth dried

My eyes followed his f’reals from his hands to the check-out counter

His hands picked up the F’reals again 

And right be me, he passed 

The cashier watched him use both plastic straws from both chocolate shakes

The cashier’s mouth and eyes crinkled into his nose

I laughed as the store’s glass door swung closed behind me

Our heels clacked again on the concrete.