Can You Hear the Ocean?

Chapter 44

Mia turned on stove's fan, trying to disperse the smoke that had accumulated in her small apartment kitchen. Despite its darkening skin, the chicken she was cooking didn't appear burnt. In fact, when she cut into it, it was still pink.

"This is why I couldn't be a cook," Mia mumbled to herself as she turned the stove's heat down.

As the chicken continued to sizzle, Mia walked over to the patio. As she opened the patio door to let the smoke disperse, her eyes fell suddenly on the spot she and Leila had stood on Thanksgiving evening. Mia's cheeks burned at the thought. She'd felt so happy in the moment that all reason had left her. She remembered wanting to feel close to Leila in the moment, to feel her body warmth against hers. Mia hadn't expected Leila to wrap an arm around her and hold her close like that. That tender moment shared between the two hadn't been spoken of since. Mia surely didn't feel like bringing it up, and Leila obviously hadn't either.

Cool air slowly flooded into the living room. Mia shivered slightly and returned to the kitchen. December had arrived, and soon enough, Mia would become familiar with Maine winters once more. For now, she savored the lack of snow outside, though the temperature certainly had dropped in the last few days.

As Mia continued cooking her chicken dish, Fuji began circling around her feet, meowing at her.

"You want dinner, I presume?" she asked.

His vibrant meows in response could only mean yes. As Mia got him settled with his own dinner, she heard the front door to her apartment unlock. Glancing up, Mia locked eyes with Leila as she stepped in the door. Her cheeks and nose were reddened from the cold, and a scarf was tied tightly around her neck.

"Brr, it's chilly out there," Leila said. Her attention immediately was drawn to the stove. "Are you cooking something?" she asked.

"Oh, I was trying out this new chicken dish," Mia said.

"Oh," Leila said, seeming surprised.

"Sorry, did you want something else for dinner?" Mia asked.

"No—I mean—no as in I didn't want anything else. You usually keep it simple, so I was surprised, that's all," Leila said.

"I figured I'd try something new," Mia said. For so many months she'd felt like an inadequate roommate. Leila had done so much for her, and Mia was struggling to find ways to return that selflessness. She supposed she could start by trying to cook nicer meals for the two of them.

"Well, I'm excited to try it," Leila said.

As Leila set her things down, Mia plated their dinner for the evening. She took a seat at the table and grabbed her fork, ready to dig in, but she felt it rude to do so without Leila. Leila emerged from her bedroom a few minutes later, and for a moment, Mia felt speechless. Leila was wearing a maroon sweater and her normal work pants. Mia had seen her in the outfit countless times before, and yet, she looked particularly beautiful tonight. Her throat grew dry as Leila approached.

"Oh, you didn't have to wait for me!" Leila exclaimed.

"That's okay. I don't mind," Mia said. She averted her gaze from Leila, unsure why. As she dug into her piece of chicken, she suddenly grew disappointed.

"Damn. It's dry," Mia murmured.

"It's fine," Leila said.

As they both ate quietly together, Mia began to speak. "You know, now that it's getting colder, it's finally starting to feel like Christmastime."

"I think so too," Leila said. "The beachfront was all lit up with lights as I was driving home."

"Maybe we could get a tree for the apartment?" Mia suggested. "My family and I used to get a live one every year. I miss going to the tree lots."