hope in a pastry shell

Today has been one of those days where things just don't seem to be going right in the world: people gone who shouldn't be gone; no answers to major questions; a general feeling of life-drift. Dinner didn't happen until after Jim played a double-header in kickball, and by then I'd just about given up trying to puzzle out the rest of it.

Then my friend Melissa called.

Melissa: "Hey, what are you two up to?"

Me: "Crashed on the couch watching TiVoed Daily Show and Colbert."

Melissa: "I just got out of rehearsal and I'm coming over. I have something yummy for you."

Me: "Oh, geez...really, we just ate..."

Melissa: "Tough. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Me: "{silence}"

Melissa: "Trust me, you of all people will appreciate this, whether you eat it now or later."

Me: "Uh...ok. Come on over."

Ten minutes later, Melissa came in the door holding a box from Mike's Pastry.

Which was, as you might imagine, chock full of cannoli.

Me: {almost drooling}"Oh. My. God. You. Didn't."

Melissa: "See? I knew you'd think this was worth it."

Melissa is, truly, the best.

And suddenly, even if the world is not quite living up to expectation, well... at least it has Mike's cannoli.

Trite as it may be, this is for Alan, the first person -- via FAP -- to take me to Mike's. I'll miss you.