His Little Amelia

|36| • Everest

This was the first time I had been the one confessing to a woman before she did. I knew I was keen on baby steps but I got a bit impatient. As my baby said, it was okay to be a little selfish at times, right? Ah, I had no idea.

The giddy feeling in my chest proved stubborn even though a day had passed since we last saw -- since I told truly told her how I felt. To be honest, when I did, my heart squeezed in anticipation, and the thought of her nose scrunching up in fear or disgust washed through me. I knew we wanted to take things slow, so what if she fled feeling my emotions were too much pressure? All sorts of thoughts ran through my head when I said those words; they all vanished when she lounged at me, enveloping my larger stature in a warm hug.

The words she whispered I couldn't make out, but what I did hear was her whining my name, 'Evie...' she called as though she was flustered. I laughed. We remained in each others' arms for a long time, before she told me I was forgiven. I had almost forgotten the reason I brought her there was to settle an issue.

Today was Saturday, the picnic.

I wanted it to be near perfect, perhaps that was why I had awoken before the sun, checking recipes of different pastries I had in mind. On the third try of baking the apple crumbles, I began rethinking my choices. Why didn't I settle for store-bought pies? Gathering the sandwiches, dessert, and our main dish, I neatly placed them in the trunk of the car, sliding the black cover over it. I looked over to the kitchen, making sure everything was in order. The flowers, the wine, the food, the blanket; what else did one need for an afternoon picnic? Courage. My conscience mocked, making me scoff.

I was flustered, so what?

Even though I had seen my little lady the day before, my palms were still sweaty. Taking a deep breath, the engine roared to life with a swift turn of the ignition. It was time to pick my little lady up.

I thought back to the way Amelia stared at me yesterday, her eyes filled with an expression I couldn't quite read, her lips parted to speak but she shook her head, hugging me again. Perhaps I had made her speechless. It didn't take long before she looked up at me again, her lips slowly connecting with my cheek, then the side of my lips, only an inch off from being a kiss. I held myself, I had to. Even though all in me wanted to pull her into a deep kiss, I restrained myself with a smile. She was worth the wait. For the rest of the while, Amelia was flustered, her words coming out with a stutter, I even caught the drop in temperature in her small palms.

A toothed grin covered my lips, ah, when last did I feel this way? I kind of liked it.

Did this mean no more baby steps?

Shaking my head, I parked the car next to her house, wanting to calm myself before going to knock at the door. Come to think of it, I was going to start apartment hunting soon enough, having enough money to do so. I had taken out quite a bit for Amelia's culinary dreams but it still remained enough for a downpayment on an apartment for about three years. I never did spend my money on anything until now. This made me chuckle, Amelia would freak if she found out I'd already set aside money for the cooking school, so I didn't want to tell her just yet.

From the side mirror, I adjusted the strands of hair that fell to my face, making sure I looked presentable. After much debating, I went up to her gate, announcing my arrival by ringing the bell beside the gate. It didn't take long before the gate opened to reveal an older man, Abel seemed like a carbon copy of this man. The realization hit and my posture straightened, I cleared my throat.

This was Amelia's father.

He was darker than her, Amelia had brown skin while he was close to being black, the man's chest broad, and his stature intimidating. His hair seemed as thick as wool, cut just a few inches above his head. As the silence went on, his nostrils flared, thick eyebrows raising up in question.