I stared in disbelief, rooted to the spot where I'd come every day to buy my coffee. The shop... it was gone.

"Wha—how?" I muttered, looking around as if the building might reappear if I blinked hard enough.

The sun hung low, casting long, orange shadows over everything. I'd rushed here right after work, eager to pick up another bag of the coffee that had become... essential. But now, where the familiar shop should've been, there was only a drab, gray house.

I felt my chest tighten. The building I remembered was warm and welcoming, painted a deep red with brown shingles and black-and-white accents on the windows. This building was lifeless, a plain gray box without a hint of the shop's cozy charm. It was as though my coffee shop had never existed.

My pulse quickened. This couldn't be right.

A passerby caught my eye, and I hurried over. "Excuse me," I said, and the old man turned, tipping his hat.

"Yes?" His gaze was polite but wary.

"Do you know what happened to the coffee shop that was here?" I gestured at the bland, gray building.

He raised his brows. "Coffee shop? Miss, there hasn't been a coffee shop on this side of the street since the '70s." He shook his head, chuckling softly as if I'd told him a joke. "You sure you've got the right place?"

I opened my mouth to argue but stopped. His expression was sincere, his eyes kind but confused. I managed a polite nod and muttered a quick thanks, watching him walk away before turning back to the house.

Was I imagining things? Had the shop moved?

By the time I made it home, I felt a weight pressing on my chest. I hung up my coat, dropped my bag, and changed into the comfort of my old pajamas. But the unease lingered.

In the kitchen, I sat at the counter, gazing at the coffee bag sitting alone on the shelf. Is this going to be my last cup? The thought was absurd, but the idea unsettled me. I reached for the bag, running my fingers over its strange, vibrant design.

I sighed. I could practically hear my mother's voice chiding me, "Every sigh is a breath of life wasted. Don't give it up so easily."

But at that moment, I didn't care. My life felt flat, dim... like the world without that coffee.

And so, I sighed again.