The Last Sip
By Grace H., Wisconsin
Microstory Contest Winner - Grades 7 & 8 (Prompt B)
They sat together, smiling, heads gently leaned toward one another.
His hand traced the rim of his mug: her eyes glinted—hope and despair knotted within.
Their laughter danced light, but beneath it lay tangled weight: an unspoken and honest question—would time hold them close or pull them apart?
She rose to leave, her coffee half gone.
A brush of hands. A soft smile. A quiet absence. He starts his freshman year at Iowa while she returns home.
Moments like that linger—
after the coffee chills,
after the laughter fades,
after a silent goodbye,
long after the last sip.