A Defining Mistake

Chapter 3 - Sunshine and Showers

Ada's fingers hovered over her phone, trying to decide if she should message Jordan or not. They had texted back and forth for most of the night and it ended after Ada sent the last message and he hadn't replied, presumably falling asleep. Her thumb skimmed over his contact information, bringing up his profile picture. His smiling face posing next to a woman that was likely to be Amy stopped her from messaging him. Scolding herself, Ada put her phone in her jacket pocket and headed for her bedroom door. Ordinarily, she would have eaten breakfast first before showering but under the circumstances, she didn't fancy an awkward meeting in the corridor with Jo in just her pyjamas. She had considered hanging around in her room waiting for them to leave but her stomach had other ideas. The corridor was quiet and, when Ada paused and listened at Sabrina's door, it was so silent she assumed she was home alone.

In the kitchen, Ada whisked a pancake batter together, her mouth watering at the heavenly smell. She stood at her grey island countertops, spilling flour and flicking batter as she whisked vigorously. The large kitchen was bright and airy, holding both a breakfast bar and a dining table. To the left was her spiral staircase that led to the two bedrooms, study and family bathroom. To the right was a utility room and back door that led to the vast garden. As she waited for the big bowl of batter to settle, Ada brewed a large pot of coffee, the after effects of last night having left her throat drier than the desert.

As she poured the batter into a frying pan, her phone pinged. It was Jordan, apologising for falling asleep and asking if Jo was still at hers. She washed her hands quickly and replied that she hadn't seen Jo and it was all quiet (unlike last night) in her house and to not worry about falling asleep it was totally fine and hadn't worried her in the slightest.

"Hello? Ada?" Ada's elder sister Ashley called out as she let herself in the back door of Ada's home.

"Hey! I'm in the kitchen," Ada shouted back, flipping her phone over so it was face down. "As usual, you're just in time for breakfast."

"Auntie Ada!" Timmy, Ada's nephew catapulted himself across the kitchen when he caught sight of her. Ada scooped him up into her arms and squeezed him tightly.

"Hey little man! I missed you. Want some pancakes?" Timmy nodded quickly, squealing as she swung him up and around. "Damn, Ash, he's getting so heavy."

"Tell me about it," Ashley rolled her eyes, sitting at the breakfast bar enjoying the brief kid-free minute. "He's so clingy at the moment too, wants to be carried everywhere. You won't be able to put him down now, you watch."

"I need to finish the pancakes," Ada laughed, trying to put Timmy on his feet to no avail. He swung his legs up every time he got close to the floor.

"Timmy, let go of Auntie Ada, now please," Ashley used her Stern Mum Voice and Timmy obeyed, moving to sit on the floor with a toy car. "How have you been?"

"I've met someone," Ada blurted out. "But it's complicated."

"Of course," Ashley sighed. "It always is with you. What is it this time?"

"He has a girlfriend. But he's perfect in every other way," Ada sighed. "It's so frustrating."

"You can't go after a man with a girlfriend, Ada," Ashley's Mum Voice made a reappearance and Timmy looked up from where he was playing on the floor as if to make sure he wasn't in trouble. Ada's phone dinged but she made no effort to check it. "That's him now, isn't it? He isn't perfect if he's entertaining cheating."

"Look I don't know. I just wanted to tell you and to get your advice."

"My advice is to leave it alone and move on. He is not the one. You'll end up getting hurt or you'll hurt someone else by ruining their relationship. It's not worth it. How did you meet anyway?"