There was nothing to keep him from his love.

Content with his good fortune, the chief settled himself into the high backed chair at his desk to open the top drawer. From within, he withdrew a small parcel. He ran the length of the box under his nose and inhaled deeply. The aromatic scent of chocolate and brown sugar wafted up even through the packaging, and the chief let out a giddy laugh as he set the box on his desk.

Twirling his chair to face the small table behind him, he set the coffee maker to brewing. The anticipation was almost as good as the reward itself would be. While the water heated, he put lump after lump of sugar into a cup. A napkin and a bread plate were set out carefully on his desk as well.

Just at the point when he thought he could wait no longer, the coffee maker beeped twice to announce that it had finished before shutting itself off. The chief set upon the carafe, pouring his freshly brewed coffee into the waiting cup. As the two smells mixed in the air, he couldn't help breathing in deeply once more. Finally, it was time to open the lid to his present.

Inside were nestled a dozen of the most perfectly baked cookies imaginable. The red tissue paper wrapped around them had even managed to preserve some of their warmth from when they had been baked that morning. As he bit into the first cookie, his eyes fluttered shut with a moan of delight.

Three things were confirmed in that moment of stolen bliss. He loved cookies, he loved his wife, and he loved when Major Eberbach was out of the office.

~fin~