When you hear that a short story is “about relationships,” most people instantly picture romance couples, breakups, longing, heartbreak, all of it. Romantic relationships dominate a huge portion of storytelling, and for good reason: they’re familiar, emotional, and dramatic.
But when I set out to write my 500-word short story, I knew I didn’t want to go down that path. Instead, I found myself drawn to something different, the idea of writing about relationships through observation and reflection. Not necessarily emotional drama, but the quieter connections we notice when we slow down. The kind of thoughts that show up when we’re simply paying attention.
Choosing this angle wasn’t intentional at first; it came from the way I naturally think and move through the world. Reflection has become a part of both my daily life and professional life, and it felt honest to write from that space. Still, the theme of relationships was challenging. I struggled to begin. I couldn’t find an entry point, or even a spark, so I stepped away for a few days.
And then, as it often happens, something arrived when I stopped forcing it.
The title of the story I eventually wrote says it all: it became a piece built around thinking, observing, and letting ideas surface in their own time. And I’ve noticed (and I wonder if this happens to you too) that once you slip into the right headspace, when you’re not rushed or juggling a hundred other thoughts, the words start to flow almost effortlessly. When you give yourself the time, the space, and most importantly the permission not to force the writing… something opens.
That’s how this story emerged.
I’m still very much a beginner when it comes to shaping stories. Every piece I write feels like another attempt at learning how to create something meaningful for myself and I don’t mind if no one else might want to read it but if they do, that is even more fun. But for now, I continue the process of exploring, experimenting, reflecting and this story is another part of that journey.
See what you think.
Why does one person wait patiently while another spreads anxiety like static?
Today I walked into my favourite coffee. One man was being served while two women hovered just inside the door, scrutinising the cakes, inspecting them like inspectors on a surprise visit.
“Why don’t they have someone here to serve us?” one said sharply. The other huffed. “Exactly. And people wonder why customer service is gone to the dogs”.
I took my place in the empty queue. Noticing this, the young barista glanced up and said to the women, “The queue starts down there, nodding to where I stood,” before returning her focus to the frothing milk.
The women froze. Their eyebrows shot up, their faces grimacing as if she’d just spit in the frothing milk. One of them snapped back at the girl, “You’re so rude,” the other joined in suggesting their relationship relied on each other for validation.
Then one turned and walked straight out. Followed closely by the other.A few minutes later they stormed back in wearing their anger on their distorted strained faces.
“We have never been so disgusted in all our life,” one announced to the barista. “How very rude you are!”
The girl blinked, confused.
The woman continued, “You told us the queue was down there. Where’s the sign? There isn’t one, is there? I can’t believe you spoke to us like that.”
The barista repeatedly apologised, her voice trembling. “Get your manager” one of the women ordered, speaking sharply enough to make the girl’s hands shake. Another barista stepped in while the young girl went to get him. While it appeared the two women acted together, their anger matching each other, the tall skinny one was clearly in charge. I could imagine the other placing her age spotted hand on a bible swearing fish could fly if her friend said it was so.
I left, coffee in hand. A heavy feeling fell over me. That unease pulled me back to the coffee shop later that day.
The manager was standing behind the counter. Before I opened my mouth, he smiled and said, “She’s okay, she’s not in trouble.”
Then he told me what happened next.
The man who’d been waiting for his coffee during the incident had walked outside just as the two women were leaving. As they stood outside the coffee shop, he heard them conspiring to get the young barista into trouble. He went home, sat with it, and decided he couldn’t let a young girl be blamed for something she didn’t do. He wrote an email to the manager explaining what he’d seen and heard, and why he felt compelled to speak up.
Today reminded me that observing alone isn’t always enough. As Bob Dylan sings in the background, “how many times can a man turn his head, pretending not to see…”
In a few minutes of chaos, I watched relationships unfold in every direction, between the two women, the barista, the customers, even the man who later spoke up. It left me realising that we’re all bound by the roles we choose in the moments that matter, and kindness is a relationship too. And often, when we observe the human condition, we see not just who people are, but who we can choose to be.
The End
I can’t believe my six-week Martin Keaveney Creative Writing course is already complete. It was so much fun that I’m definitely going to keep exploring creative writing into the new year. If you want to check it out while you dream up new adventures to explore in 2026, this is the one I joined www.martinkeaveney.com.
