<p>Featuring poetry and prose, <em>Capsule Stories Winter 2021 Edition</em> explores the theme Sugar and Spice. Read wintry writings that feel cozy and warm and explore the ways food can bring us together during the winter holidays. These stories and poems reflect on connecting with loved ones, family traditions, and even yourself through food and drink. <em>Capsule Stories Winter 2021 Edition</em> is the perfect book to curl up with alongside a hot drink and a tasty treat on a cold winter day.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Sugar and Spice</strong></p><p>The room is warm when you wake up. Your body squeaks uncomfortably on an old leather sofa. Your little cousin is sitting on the rug of the living room, playing with his iPad. In a daze, you stumble toward the kitchen, toward the hearty laughter echoing through the hallways, the aunties arguing over oven space. Something smells like butter and garlic. You have been tasked with peeling potatoes.&nbsp;</p><p>Your family members bustle around the kitchen, stirring, tasting, adding more salt. A single potato slips out of your hands and bounces on the tile. You remember that you often feel alone at big gatherings. The inescapable urge to retreat to an empty bedroom. But what comforts you is imagining what is happening in all the other houses. You imagine a young woman, overdressed, sipping wine at the dining table by herself as chaos ensues around her. You imagine seventeen-year-olds being sent off to the grocery store for the third time in search of gravy packets and vanilla ice cream. You imagine some people must be alone, eating Chinese takeout, comforted by the quiet streets outside and the low hum of the radiator fixed to their apartment wall. The food is a string that ties us together, enriching small moments with a depth of flavor that will always remind you of home.</p>