 This is men by coffee for their wives. At the cafe where I work, sometimes men come in to order for an absent wife, girlfriend, mother, sister, daughter, or friend. And they talk like I know the absent wife, girlfriend, mother, sister, daughter, friend quite personally. This I love. They'll say she wants a medium with two sugars and all fill the cup and mix the splendor and wonder who she is. Wonder about the woman who is out of sight at the moment, perhaps in the car or else holding the dog's leash outside or at home waiting with a newspaper in her lap. Sometimes the men read the order from a little post-it note to get it just right and when they don't I imagine they know it by heart having spent enough time with this medium two sugars to know just how she likes it. On a good day, I may take it a step further and hope to God they are surprising her with the coffee. Brightening a bad day, compensating for a marital spat, bringing a birthday gift, saying thank you, saying sorry, wooing her, loving her, getting flowers when they leave my shop. At the cafe where I work, sometimes men buy coffee for their wives, girlfriend's, mother's, sister's, daughter's, friends. All in milk, please, she lactose intolerant and my heart sings. They talk like I know these women personally and I do. I know this one hates vanilla syrup and this one loves their seasonal and this one needs g-cap because of her heart, you know. I know just how maybe 45 New Orleans women take their coffee or tea or shake or juice. I know they have men in their lives who love them. I know them personally. I know them intimately and I have never met a single one.