She left the car running. The heater too. It took her 12 minutes to return to it with lunch, a pre-packaged bowl of microwaved soup. She slid behind the wheel, popped the lid, and spooned the soup and noodles into her mouth. The plastic bowl was warmer than the contents. Now 15 minutes had disappeared. Half of her lunch break. She lifted the bowl to her lips like a chalice and slurped the remains.
Originally published in Paragraph Planet, February 2024
Andy writes! 