Coke, Cheats, And Chaos

Synopsis

Taking advantage of the weekend to prepare for the holiday, I carried two big bags of groceries home, sweating from the heat. Noah was lounging on the couch, scrolling through his phone, with a steaming cup of plain hot water right next to him. I grabbed an ice-cold Coke from one of the bags and handed it to him. "Here, your survival juice." He waved me off and pointed at his cup. "I'm giving it up." I stared at him, totally shocked. "Wait, didn't you say Coke was your happy juice? Why the sudden change?" Noah cleared his throat, looking away. "It's... not great for my teeth." "Please. Last time the dentist told you to cut back, you walked out and bought a Coke to 'calm your nerves.' Don't try to fool me," I exposed him. Caught off guard, Noah dropped his voice and blurted out, "My mom saw in her wellness chat group that Coke is bad if you want kids." I just stared at him for a moment before cracking up. Noah kept his eyes averted, but his neck and ears were flaming red.