Iced Coffee — The Drink You Make Before the Sun Is Up and the House Gets Quiet

Saturday. We drove Diego to CSU. Move-in day. The whole family. Five-thirty in the morning departure. Eight a.m. arrival. Two trucks of stuff — mine and Lisa's, packed to the gills with everything Diego owned that he wanted to bring to college. The dorm was a four-story building. Diego's room was on the second floor. We carried boxes for two hours. We met his roommate Luke. Luke's parents were also there. We helped both kids get settled. Lisa made the bed. I hung the football posters. The twins put the snacks in the desk drawer. Sofia organized the books on the small shelf. Hayley was there too — she had driven up separately. She and Diego have agreed to try long-distance for the year.

By noon the dorm was set. Coach Ramos came by to say hello to the family. He shook Diego's hand. He shook mine. He said, "Coach Medina. Take care. We have him from here." I said, "Coach. Thank you." We went to lunch as a family at a restaurant near campus. Diego ate. He was quiet. He was nervous. The twins were sad in a way that they did not yet know how to express. Sofia was quiet. Lisa was holding it together by a thread.

At two we went back to the dorm. We hugged. We took photos. We hugged again. Diego hugged each of us. He hugged Lisa for the longest. Lisa cried into his shoulder. Diego held her. He said, "Mom. I am okay. I am twenty minutes by phone. I am forty-five minutes by truck. I am okay." Lisa nodded. She let go. I hugged Diego. I said, "Mijo." He said, "Dad." That was all we said. We hugged.

We drove home at three. Two trucks. Lisa drove one. I drove the other. I drove with the twins. Lisa drove with Sofia. The twins were quiet. Marco asked, "Dad, when are we going to see Diego again." I said, "We will see him for Labor Day weekend if his schedule allows. Otherwise we will see him for Thanksgiving." Marco said, "That is a long time." I said, "It is. But we will FaceTime. He will call." Marco was quiet. He fell asleep against the window.

We got home at six. The house was empty in a way it had not been empty in eighteen years. Diego's room was bare. His bed was unmade. The closet was half full. The desk was empty. The carpet had marks where his furniture had been.

Lisa walked through the house. She came into Diego's room. She stood in the middle. She did not say anything. She walked out. She went into our bedroom. She closed the door. She cried for an hour. I sat on the patio. The twins watched a movie. Sofia read. We ate leftover tamales for dinner. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table. Even when the table has one fewer chair than it had this morning.

We were out the door by five-thirty that morning and nobody was fully awake — not the twins, not Lisa, not me. I had made a big jar of iced coffee the night before because I knew we were not going to have time for anything else, and I wanted one thing to go right before the hard part started. That drive up to Fort Collins, two trucks, the dark still on the highway — that cold coffee in the cupholder was the only quiet thing about the whole day. This is the one I make now whenever the road is long and the reason for driving is bigger than I know how to say out loud.

Iced Coffee

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes (plus chilling) | Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups strong brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1/4 cup whole milk or half-and-half (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoons simple syrup or sugar (optional, to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• Pinch of fine salt

Instructions

1. Brew strong coffee. Brew your coffee at double strength — use about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water. Let it cool completely at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight if making ahead.
2. Make simple syrup (optional). If using sugar, combine equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool before using. Store any extra in the fridge.
3. Build the glass. Fill two tall glasses generously with ice. Pour 1 cup of cooled coffee over the ice in each glass.
4. Add milk and sweeten. Pour milk or half-and-half over the coffee in each glass. Add simple syrup, vanilla, and a small pinch of salt if using. The salt rounds out the bitterness without making it taste salty.
5. Stir and serve. Stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust milk or sweetness. Serve immediately, or pour into a sealed jar or travel cup for the road.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 60 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 55mg