All I Wanted Was a Cappuccino. Apparently, That Was Too Much to Ask.

It was a lovely morning to get old.

My partner surprised me with a wonderful gift, and he had even prepared one from our little boy.

Of course, my little one immediately decided that the presents were actually for him and unwrapped them before I had much of a chance to react.

I felt so happy.

My father and his wife were staying with us for a few days, which honestly felt like an even bigger gift.

I have been noticing more and more lately that the best moments are often the ordinary ones — the people we love simply being there.

Our boy was incredibly excited about the cake we were going to have at dinner and did not stop talking about it all the way to kindergarten.

Meanwhile, I had exactly one mission for the day:

I wanted a hazelnut cappuccino.

Nothing complicated.

After dropping the little one off, we went to my partner’s parents’ house so Veni could check how the renovations were going.

I had also given my car to some friends who needed it for a trip out of town that day.

As soon as I walked into the house, there were more presents waiting for me.

So far, so good.

I sat down and waited for Veni to get ready. Since I had plenty of work to do, I opened my laptop and tried to be productive while I waited.

More than half an hour passed.

At that point, I just wanted my cappuccino.

Simple.

Nothing else.

Veni, however, was still deep in one of those very dramatic renovation discussions, and I was starting to get a little impatient.

Then my phone rang.

It was the kindergarten teacher.

She told me that my boy’s throat hurt, that it was red, that he was in pain and that there was, once again, an issue with his runny nose.

At some point, antibiotics were even mentioned.

Naturally, I got scared.

I rushed to pick him up.

He, meanwhile, was extremely enthusiastic to see me.

We went straight to the doctor, while my apparently seriously ill child was very interested in running around and playing outside.

At that point, I became quite curious about this mysterious illness I had just been called about.

The doctor examined him and said there was absolutely nothing wrong with him.

No medicine needed.

Definitely no antibiotics.

I decided to keep him with me for the rest of the week because I really did not feel like arguing with the staff at kindergarten.

I did call them, though, to let them know that the pediatrician had said he was perfectly fine.

I even joked that maybe the whole “illness” was actually about my birthday and his determination not to miss the cake.

Apparently, he might have a very successful acting career ahead of him.

I am still curious where exactly that red throat disappeared to between the kindergarten and the pediatrician’s office, but anyway.

Back to the important issue.

All I wanted was my cappuccino.

Did I have it yet?

No.

Of course not.

Veni asked me why I had not taken our boy back to kindergarten.

I told him:

“It is my birthday. I just want my cappuccino.”

Was that the end of it?

NO.

My partner took the little one back to kindergarten himself because he wanted to understand why they thought he was ill and why there was such a difference between what they had seen and what the pediatrician had just told us.

And finally…

I made it to the café.

By then, I was with my father and his wife, and I had just finished telling her how good the coffee there was.

Then my cappuccino arrived.

Warm in my hands.

Great aroma.

Finally.

I took the first sip.

And it was no good.

I still have absolutely no idea why.

It just sucked.

I sat there thinking:

Damn. The one thing I really wanted to enjoy today.

And then another thought crossed my mind:

It wasn’t even noon yet. How much more could this day fuck with me?

At that point, I was ready for something good.

So we went to one of my favorite restaurants in Vidin.

I could not choose anything from the lunch menu, so I decided it was time for a burger.

Best decision of the day.

I had it with a non-alcoholic beer, and it was fantastic.

Finally.

Something had gone according to plan.

After lunch, everyone else went home and I stayed at the office because I still had work to do.

I also had classes that evening.

And somewhere in between everything else, I had to pick up the birthday cake.

When I arrived at the office, there were two bouquets waiting for me.

I was so happy.

So excited.

I did some work and then went to get the cake.

When I ordered it, I had only told them which flavors I wanted. I had not said anything about how it should look.

And when I saw it…

It was brilliant.

I loved it.

It was so cute.

Somehow, I managed to fit it into the office fridge just before my classes started.

Then some of my students arrived with flowers.

More flowers.

More little surprises.

And I suddenly felt so special.

So loved.

By the time I got home, there were even more flowers waiting for me.

Maybe that is why home feels so different when the people you love are in it — even after the most chaotic day.

And dinner was already cooked.

Honestly…

What more could I ask for?

Well.

A trip around the world would be nice.

But let’s stay humble.

My limit for the day was one decent cappuccino, and you already know how that went.

Grateful. Loved. Slightly under-caffeinated.

Not a bad way to turn 34.

Maybe Your Story Belongs Here Too

Birthdays do not always go according to plan.

Sometimes the coffee is terrible, the child is mysteriously “ill,” the schedule falls apart and somehow the day still ends up being full of love.

If you have ever had a birthday — or any ordinary day — that turned into something completely different from what you expected, I would love to hear about it.

Especially if it somehow became better because of the people around you. 🤍

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