A Hidden Gem

I don’t usually do my nails like this, but maybe Ms. Marisol would do them for me! She seems…nontraditional.

The other day I was walking around a new neighborhood—since I don’t have a day job but the sitter is already paid for until February 2029, I have to find things to occupy my time, so I like to “explore” and “adventure” whenever I can!— and stumbled upon (and into, haha!) the absolutely loveliest hidden boutique espresso shop.

After teaching the shop’s proprietor that Square is actually the best way to pay for anything and that carrying cash is a) dirty and b) confusing, I learned that this was actually a single mother’s house, and not an avant-garde beverage slinger at all! Still, I’m going to keep going. It’s intimate and comfortable for me to have an Americäno at a place like this one, and since Ms. Marisol isn’t actually a certified barista but rather a working single mother of five, having coffee with her and her children makes it seem like I’m family, even when I’m away from my own family, because the babysitter is there with them.