He drank deeply from his coffee cup, enjoying the rich sensations—the weight of the cup in his hand, the taste of the liquid on his tongue, the warmth in his throat.  He really missed drinking coffee when he traveled for the King.  Once it was almost impossible to imagine a world without coffee.  Now he had been there twice.  Even still, it all seemed like an illusion.

            “Patrons, the library closes in ten minutes.  Please make your final selections at this time and proceed to check-out.”

            He smiled contentedly, recognizing Amanda’s voice over the intercom.  That was no illusion.  He had made his final selection concerning this woman and she was wonderful.  In the weeks since returning from the last mysterious adventure, they had spent every evening together talking about their experiences, their ambitions, and their hopes for the future.  Discussing the incredible insights and personal growth gained from these strange experiences with another person was so liberating.  He had never fully realized how the burden of being alone on these supernatural quests—the only mortal involved—was affecting him.  But now he was not alone!  There were others!  He could share the experiences with Amanda.  His world was transformed.

            Romance was another new adventure for him, as well.  Exploring uncharted territory, every moment with her was a new revelation.  Before being touched personally by this feeling of love, he always suspected romance was just silly emotionalism—certainly not meant for him.  You could not prove the existence of love to someone who had never experienced it.  Now immersed in its warmth and intimate embrace, he could not imagine his world without it.  What was it like before tasting love?  He could not remember.

            Colors were more intense—music was brighter—time passed differently.  His senses were heightened.  Anyone outside of this wonderful experience would accuse him of making it all up, but those blessed few who had been truly touched by love in their lifetime would understand.  Love seemed unattainable—now life without it seemed inconceivable.  What had once been complete romantic nonsense to him suddenly became his new reality.  Though he could not see it or prove its existence, love was real to him.  So much of his world had been changed with his own experiences.

            Like his world before tasting coffee—or his shallow perceptions of reality before the last adventure—mused the man absently as he gently swirled the contents of the cup in his hand.  To someone who had never tasted coffee, the sensation was almost indescribable.  The first sip was bitter and repugnant.  But then something changed and a new world with coffee replaced the old one without it.  He stared out of the library’s window, watching the last