“See the espresso with Nutella?” says the woman behind me to the man next to her.
“I was just looking at that!” I say.
They share that they are in town for Valentine’s Day, visiting from the next county over. That they’re staying in a hotel downtown, and that checking in took an hour and a half because of all the holiday weekend visitors. That those visitors all have masks and some have gloves, everyone doing what they need to do to feel comfortable. That today is this couple’s first time in this gelato shop.
And in this age of distance and masks and even less eye contact than usual, when half the people I pass while running don’t raise their gazes enough to see whether I’m waving or nodding or smiling at them (and I’ve checked: people do notice when you smile with your eyes), even this exchange feels monumental.
As does the gelato.
This Glass Has Water 