That New Book Smile

Reader, let's get real. Real Talk. I'm not having a good day. I'm not in a cheery mood.

Why? you ask, with that gentle look of concern. I woke up without heat (I now have heat, it's fine). This is not a good way to start the day. I'm behind on work, which means I can't write, which means my writing soul is stuck in RivenHell Purgatory along with my protagonist for the time being.

I'm having a bad hair day. It's basically the Apocalypse over here.

But something just happened to make me smile.

I was trudging home in the snow with my lukewarm coffee when I saw one of my professor neighbors. He is super friendly with waves and hellos but we don't normally exchange more than that. Today he gives me a big grin.

PROFESSOR NEIGHBOR: ....just got a new book!

ME (not hearing him well and thinking maybe he's telling me this because I just missed the delivery person): Oh! Wait—you did, or I did?

PROF N: I did!!!

ME: Oh. That's great.

PROF N: Yeah! It's one of those books I've been waiting for for a while now too. So now I've got that new book smile.

ME: Awesome.

How cute is that? I mean, I know he's a professor and all, but he's also young and he parks his car super late at night and leaves it running in the driveway while he blasts reggaeton loud enough for me to hear through the walls so...I don't know I guess my point is he doesn't come off as a quiet, nerdy professor but he's still super super excited about a new book and I just found that adorable and it made my day.

Carry on. Nothing to see here.