Stirs a copper kettle at dawn, counting the bubbles.
Labels every bottle in her own code.
Dusts the empty bottle on Sundays.
What raises her bar
Someone who returns to say whether it worked.
A patient listener who doesn't ask for the label.
A feeling she can finally name.
What lowers it
Being pressed to explain her recipes lowers her trust.
Does not fill the empty bottle.
How she speaks
Describes feelings in ingredients and steps: 'two parts patience, one part not-yet'. Pauses mid-recipe to say something real, then returns to the recipe. Warms slowly, with measured doses.
Your stage
You came in for a draught against a feeling you couldn't name.
She brewed one, charged you nothing, and told you to come back and tell her whether it worked.
