A Flower that Blossomed in the Winter

Chapter V

Thea does not remember having slept, something she was used to by now, but this time it was justifiable. She wakes up in the living room, the coffee table is next to the table in the dining room and they lie on a mattress in the living room in front of the television. Thea still has an almost empty bottle of sake in her hand and Lola is lying beside her, her hand resting on her abdomen and her head on her chest. Thea does not remember exactly what exactly happened in the hours that preceded her sleep, but the fact that they are both naked gives her a hint. Not daring to wake up Lola, she takes a few more sips of that sake, it still tastes the same as last night, despite not being warm anymore, and on her side of the mattress are some empty bottles.

While Thea is trying to figure out how much she had been drinking last night based solely on the headache when Lola wakes up. Thea feels her movements and turns to face Lola whose first reflex is to blush.

- Good morning - says Thea hoarsely and looking tired.

- Good morning, isn't it a little early to be so hung over? - asks Lola, laughing but still embarrassed for being completely naked.

- Isn't it a little early to be so naked? – Thea asks in a sarcastic tone and hears a nervous laugh coming from Lola who turns her face – by the way, did we have sex yesterday? Because I don't remember anything after I've finished the wine," Thea says, laughing.

- Yes, after you drank half the beers, because you thought it was a waste that I didn't want more, a pity you don't remember - says Lola provocatively, but a little embarrassed - and then we watched movies while you finished the sake bottle - replies Lola, embarrassedly, smiling – there's treatment for that, you know?

- Nymphomania? - asks Thea leaving Lola embarrassed again.

- Alcoholism, although your resistance is impressive and you're surprisingly aware when you're drunk.

- It might be, but my drunk memory doesn't exist when I'm sober - says Thea, getting up.

- Where are you going? - asks Lola without making a move to get up.

- Make your breakfast, besides, I'll look very sexy wearing that apron like this, I won't miss this chance - says Thea turning her back on Lola and heading to the kitchen while Lola laughs.

Lola lies on the mattress and covers her chest with the duvet that until then only covered up to her belly, watching Thea cook something. She wonders how Thea was so comfortable with her body, while she was so ashamed. She did not know if it was shame of her body or if she was ashamed to be naked in front of Thea.

While lost in her thoughts Lola turns on the television and watches the news, at that moment Thea brings her a plate of sweet pancakes almost a finger thick each, covered with chocolate syrup and whipped cream with a strawberry on top, along with a cup of pure coffee without sugar.

Thea crouches down and hands her gray sweatshirt to Lola, noticing that she looks uncomfortable naked.

- I think I have never been treated so well in my entire life - says Lola, sitting with her back against the sofa wearing Thea's sweatshirt.

- Not so well treated because this breakfast is for both of us, but as I'm the one washing the dishes so I didn't want to get two of them dirty, but you can see there are two forks - says Thea laughing - but the coffee is just for you, strong coffee is good to cure a hangover, I prefer to continue drinking, since it's Sunday.

With the plate in Lola's lap, Thea sits cross-legged on the side she slept on the mattress and cuts the pancakes in half, leaving the strawberry on Lola's side.