A Cup of Hot Chocolate

Outside it was snowing. Snow, snow, snow. White flakes fell on the hat. White flakes fell on the mittens. The little one stomped in the snow. Stomp, stomp, stomp. The cheeks were red as apples. The nose was cold as an ice cube. The fingertips tingled. The toes had fallen asleep. Now it was time to go inside. Something warm was waiting at home. Something good. Something quite wonderful.

Inside the hallway it was warm. The air smelled like home and tea. Hat off, mittens off, boots off. Plop, plop, plop. Snow melted on the mat in little shiny puddles. Mama said: 'Come in, little friend.' The little one tiptoed into the kitchen. The lamp glowed softly. Softly, softly, softly. Everything felt calm. Everything felt safe.

In the kitchen, a little pot sat on the stove. The stove whispered quietly. Hush, hush, hush. Mama poured in milk. Glug, glug, glug. The milk grew warm and soft. Then came the cocoa powder. Poof, a little cloud. Mama stirred with the spoon. Swirl, swirl, swirl. The cocoa turned brown as a bear. It smelled so good. Sweet and warm and soft.

On the table sat a little cup. It was blue with white dots. It was just the right size of small. Just, just, just. Mama poured in the warm chocolate. Plop, plop, plop. Then came the very best part. One tiny marshmallow. Small, white, and round. It floated on top like a cloud. The little one smiled big. Hot chocolate with a cloud on top! A cloud all of its own.

The little one sat down on a chair with a soft cushion. The chair crept a little closer to the table. Scrape, scrape, scrape. The cup was small and warm. Two little hands held it. One hand, the other hand. The warmth crept into the fingers. Ice-cold fingers grew warm again. Slowly, slowly, slowly. It tickled just a little. How lovely it felt. Lovely like a hug.

The little one peeked down into the cup. The steam swirled in little movements. Swirl, swirl, swirl. It rose like thin threads. It danced up to the nose. Kiss, said the steam. It was warm and sweet. It tickled the tip of the nose. The marshmallow bobbed a little. It was like a tiny boat on a brown lake. Hello, little boat. Where will you sail tonight?