Morning Light, Coffee, and

She stood at the kitchen window and took a sip of coffee. The warm steam of the still-hot coffee fogged the glass. Outside, the light was still soft, and the elm leaves along the road glittered. The plate he'd left last evening was still in the sink. She picked it up carefully, rinsed it, and looked out the window. A speck of dust drifted in the sunlight and vanished. The coffee had cooled a little. She took another sip and set the remaining half cup on the table. Suddenly she noticed the neighbor's cat curled up on the wall, basking in the sun. Something about the cat struck her as funny, and a small smile came to her lips. And without knowing herself why she'd smiled, she picked up the coffee again. The shadow cast on the window was still a little long.