Starbucks and Me: A Short Short Story “Too-Hot Sandwich & a Gentle Moment”

Short-Short: Too-Hot Sandwich & a Gentle Moment

 This happened back when I was living in the U.S.

Every town seemed to have that Starbucks with the green logo.

One afternoon, I ordered a hot sandwich.

Ham & Cheese Panini.

Fresh out of the oven.

It smelled amazing.

I took a big bite—

“HOT!!”

I accidentally said it out loud.

The whole café froze for a second.

A woman across from me chuckled.

“Everyone does that at least once.”

My face was burning… not just because of the sandwich.

—Another day.

Same seat.

Same sandwich.

This time, I was careful. Slow and steady.

But the cheese stretched way farther than expected.

Before I realized it,

the cheese string had reached the next table—

Chomp.

A tiny boy took a bite with the biggest smile.

His mom panicked.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!”

I waved it off with a laugh.

“It’s okay. Sharing is caring.”

Laughter spread around us.

In the warm smell of toasted cheese,

another small, gentle moment was shared today.

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※Phrase Note

“Sharing is caring.”
A common phrase in English.
Literally: “Sharing shows you care.”
But usually, it’s more like:
“Let’s split it — how sweet of us!”
“Half for you, half for me!”

A simple phrase that warms the heart. ☺️

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