Half and Half in My Coffee, Please

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

On the morning that I was to officially commence my “empty nest,” I opened a coffee shop’s door through the top of my big toe.

I saw the damage before I felt it: a torn flap of skin still adhered, a gash, and the toenail pulled partially from the bed. I braced for the wave of pain, which came in slow motion, and then, nausea.