The Hot Chocklit Shop | ✔️

Heart Latte

"You can bet any conversation is going to get really interesting when the person starts off with 'So there is this girl...' "- Grams

"Hey Gramps" 

On a cloudy Monday afternoon, Aiden walks in the door looking a little too suspicious. He approaches the counter and slings his bag over it. "Can I ask you for something?"

Gramps puts down the cloth he was using to wipe the cups and turns around to automatically stores his backpack away on the shelf behind the counter, "Sure, what it is?"

"Can you teach me how to make the Heart Latte?" Aiden asked quietly, picking up his order notepad and pen from the side, as routine. 

"Well now," Grams come closer to the counter and looked at Aiden interestingly, "What or... who is this for?"

"Oh god Gramps, no one okay? I just want to learn how to do it. You know," Aiden folded his arms, "Increase my knowledge base, learn new skills and all that."

"Hmmm..." Gramps raises an eyebrow out of curiosity, but chose not to question him any further. "Alright." he said, to which Aiden looked relieved. "Looks like you are ready for it anyway. So I can teach you first thing tomorrow."

"No, no, you need to teach me now." Aiden asks impatiently, looking at his watch. "Before 6p.m. actually."

"What? Why now?"

"Because...." Aiden says exasperatedly, "Because..."

"Well...?"

"Okay, fine. There is this girl..." Aiden admits, looking down at his shoes and then looks up at Gramps who seems to be smiling.

"Well, go on then." Gramps encourages, "I can teach you while you tell me."

Aiden's eyes brightened and he quickly put his notepad and pen down before lifting the countertop and sliding into the space behind the display.

Heart Latte if you don't know, is this tricky heart shape foam that Grams used to make on top of all the drinks at the shop, while serving them to what looked liked couple customers. It was her sneakily small contribution to help young love. And on the days she would be wrong, awkwardly nevertheless, it would atleast be a great conversation starter between the two customers who received them.

But because the milk used for hot chocolate is thicker and creamier, Grams used to make these heart shapes out of whipped cream, thinned out to a fluffy-foamy consistency. It was a lot of work for one drink, but she knew that it made all the difference.

She would especially make it for Gramps every time he  asked her to make him something to drink. It was her culinary signature.

It was also a time consuming process, so Gramps stopped doing them after Grams was no longer there. It was almost like a Hot Chocklit shop fairy tale.

Yes, it has been years since Gramps made one, but with a couple of tries and lots of experimenting, he managed to make the perfect heart latte on a rich bed of dark hot chocolate.

"So..." Aiden started nervously, "You know the physio appointments you had for your knees for the last 2 weeks? And you asked me to take over from 6-7 till you came back?"

"Yeah...? What about them?"

"Well, there is this customer," Aiden placed the cup down, "A blonde girl who keeps coming to the cafe at the same time everyday. She had this Tale of 3 Swords shirt on and..."

"Tale's what?" Gramps interrupted.

"It's this video game I really like." Aiden waved his hands animatedly, "And I have never seen a girl wear it before because you know, mostly dudes like that game. Anyway," Aiden picked up a cup of whipped cream and milk, and gave it a gentle stir while he continued, "So at first I was like, oh big deal it. It must be her boyfriend's shirt or whatever. She then ordered a drink and sandwich, wrote something in her notebook, typed a bit on her laptop and then she left."