Rushing Through the Elevator to a Coffee‑Shop Hallway

Rushing Through the Elevator to a Coffee‑Shop Hallway

I woke up late for work and rushed out of the apartment, half‑asleep, only to realize I was wearing the sweater my ex‑girlfriend had given me last Christmas. The hallway in my building seemed endless, and every door I tried opened onto a coffee shop instead of my own floor. I finally found the elevator, but it stopped on a floor that was a mix of my office and my old college dorm. In the lobby, there was a line of people waiting for a bus, and at the front was my current boyfriend, looking nervous and holding a ticket. He turned to me, smiled, and then slipped his hand into the hand of a woman I hadn't seen in years – my college roommate, who I still thought about sometimes. I tried to call his name, but the words came out as "wait" and "stay" at the same time. The bus doors closed, and I was left standing, heart pounding, wondering if I should chase after them or just go back to the office where the coffee smelled like home.