The scent of chocolate and coffee hit a spot inside me I couldn’t explain. Even a regular hot chocolate had much of the same feeling, but with the coffee and the promise of caffeine, the experience was sublime. It had something to do with the warm milk… and probably the whipped cream on top as well.

Indigo licked at the whipped cream on the top of her hot chocolate, having learned that she only got one serving of the treat on any given day. Slowly, she licked her snout off before running her nose through the top again.

The Cat also drank his mocha, but much faster than Indigo and I. His small cup made it a little easier. My giant mug was about the size of his head, after all.

Small changes around the room drew my attention to the coffee shop version of the shop, which I’d found when I’d woken this morning. A few extra plants hung from the window, and the artwork on the walls was different. This time it was all small prints, 12 by 12 inches hung like a checkerboard on the righthand wall.

The bells rang as the door swung open revealing the troll, who always seemed to be my first customer. He chatted with someone over his shoulder as he entered, making me smile. It was Samantha. Young love for the win!

“Good Morning, welcome to Meow,” I said as I started on his Americano and her vanilla latte.

He flashed me a smile as they placed their books on the long table before approaching the register.

I set both drinks on the counter in mugs. His was a dark green, while hers was a soft blue.

“Morning y’all, I hope you like the drinks,” I said, taking his card to check them out.

“You are amazing,” said Samantha, her voice soft. Her eyes sparkled as she picked up her drink. “Every time I come here, it’s like coming to a friend’s house that you don’t want to leave.”

I blushed as I tapped the card before handing it back to him. I added a rewards card with two punches on it. “Thank you, I couldn’t ask for more.”

Indigo chirped twice in agreement, making the two trolls laugh before they headed to their books.

I sipped my mocha, checking the two out from the corner of my eye. No gold outline this week. So, they weren’t the pleasant moment we were aiming for, though they were a pleasant moment.

The next time the bell rang, it indicated the morning rush with a consistent flow of people in all shapes and sizes, not to mention colors.

Indigo hung around after her hot chocolate ran out, and the Elven girls admired her as they bought coffee and tea. She posed for them multiple times, and when they asked if they could pet her, she enthusiastically nodded her head. At the moment, she napped on their table as they worked on their economics project.

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The Cat vanished after the trolls left the counter, but I spotted him on the balcony watching everything from above at one point. His green eyes flickered around the space from where he lay. Overall, it really was just a relaxing morning. I ran out of chocolate chip cookies within two hours of opening, and the peanut butter went soon after.

To my surprise, the next person through the door was the baker, Sandra. She carried two totes in her arms, and I rushed around the counter to help hold the door. A younger woman followed her, carrying two as well.

“Sandra, I wasn’t expecting you this morning… I must have forgotten about an order…” I glanced up at the balcony, but the Cat had vanished. I found him on the counter next to the register, his eyes on the totes.

“Nonsense, I have the order form in my pocket.” She set the totes on the counter and the other two followed. Sandra held it out to me. “I just need the totes from the last order, and we can get out of your hair.”

I rushed behind the counter to find them already stacked on the floor. Snatching them up, I passed them over. A quick glance inside the totes showed that half the batch of cookies was baked, while the rest were dough balls.

“Thank you again,” I said with a smile.

Sandra chuckled. “Thank you! You helped my shop when I needed it most.” She smiled and motioned for the young girl to head out.

“I thought it was a bookstore,” the younger woman whispered as she took the lead out of the shop.

“Meow is a special place,” Sandra responded before the door shut behind her.

I stared at the totes with my mouth open.

“Are you going to put some of those out?” asked the Cat. “Don’t the ones still shaped like balls go in the freezer?”

His voice snapped me out of my stupor and I picked up the uncooked dough balls to bring to the kitchen. “Yeah, I’m moving.” In the kitchen I set them on the island and they sunk down, vanishing from sight, as I rushed back out front. A pair of tongs sat behind the counter, and I used them to put out the fresh cookies. There were a dozen chocolate chip, more peanut butter, and one that had drizzles of icing and smelled like cinnamon.

The totes contained more than fit in the stands on the counter, and I set the containers on the floor out of sight. They were gone before I could think about it.

Fresh cookies brought plenty of attention from everyone in the shop. The trolls got refills on their drinks, plus cookies, while the elves all switched to tea and tried the new one. A large group of magical humans gathered at the far end of the long table the trolls sat at. They all bought cookies as well.

Once things settled down, my eyes found the Cat. “Cat, I thought Sandra was from Earth?” I whispered.

“That doesn’t mean she doesn’t know about magic.”

“Still, she didn’t freak out at all.”

“One thing I’ve learned is people will keep your secrets, especially when they consider you an important part of their story. Your reviews saved Sandra’s shop. How was that not magical?”

I let the Cat’s words sit in my mind as a woman and a little girl entered the coffee shop. The little girl dragged her mother inside by the hand. The group of humans glanced their way, smiling. One waved at the little girl, who waved back in excitement.

“You’re the witch from Halloween!” The little girl’s voice carried through the shop, but most didn’t even turn her way. The humans at the end of the table paid attention though.