Though Elena (a senior) and Aidan (a sophomore) were not in the same year at Dickinson and, therefore, didn’t cross paths during orientation events or share similar classes, they were brought together by an undeniable driving force for any college student: the need for caffeine. Elena would often take the closing shift at Whistlestop Bookshop, appreciating that the quieter foot traffic sometimes allowed her time to work on coursework in addition to her shop tasks. Evening shifts and early morning classes made a post-dinner mocha or chai latte more of a necessity than a rarity. Luckily, Helena’s Chocolate Cafe and Creperie awaited her, just around the corner from Whistlestop. It was there that she first met Aidan, as he was working his own survival job as a barista.

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They didn’t connect initially beyond the basic customer/coffee magician (Aidan’s description) interaction at checkout. It wasn’t until one dreary October day that their daily exchange steeped into something more (Aidan’s pun, once again). Aidan had come to anticipate their brief but warm interactions, so he took note when she didn’t stop by as usual. He had overheard Elena discussing her position at the bookstore with one of his colleagues and decided to shoot his shot. He used his fifteen-minute break to speed walk around the corner with her usual order (“And a fresh snickerdoodle to really sweeten the deal”). His caffeinated (and carb-filled, Elena finds it important to include) gesture not only brightened a hectic and grey day but allowed the two to form a friendship that then brewed into something more (okay, Aidan claims to be done).