Flavored Friendship

The prompt was based on flavor. Read here for the  first part of the story.



Joey finished charging the coolant on the old refrigerator. He plugged the unit in and waited for the temperature to drop.

While he waited, he looked around the aged kitchen. It had been ten years since he'd been here. It hadn't changed.

"You all done, mister?", asked the young woman that had let him in.

"Almost. Just waiting to make sure it's working right."

His eyes lit on a pair of coffee mugs in the dish strainer. His memory filled with the flavor of hot chocolate. Steaming mugs, shared years ago on snow covered days.

Telling dreams of what he'd be when he grew up. Listening to stories older than himself. The spoon scraping the bottom of the pot. Blending cocoa and sugar and milk into the flavor of friendship.

"I used to shovel the walks here. When I was a kid." he said.

"Oh. Your Aunt Maudie's "snow boy".