After Happily Ever After (On Hold)

Part 3

The next day after work, Amber insisted on going home with Rowena to help her get ready for her date.
"Seriously, Amber?" Rowena said as they were heading out the door of the salon.
"How many dates have you had in the last six months?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend.
"Okay, none, but-"
Rowena laughed. "Fine! You can come and help me pick out an outfit."
"Great!"

After showering, Rowena threw on her bathrobe and went from the bathroom to her bedroom where Amber was sitting, reading a book.
Rowena walked to her closet and opened it.
"Whatcha got?" Amber asked as she joined her friend. They both scanned the closet, and suddenly Amber said, "Oooh!"
"What?" Rowena asked.
Amber reached inside and pulled out a purple dress that had spaghetti straps and was covered in tiny white dots.
"It's so cute!" Amber exclaimed.
"I forgot I even had that." Rowena said, taking the dress off of the hanger. She went back into the bathroom and put it on, as well as curling her hair and applying makeup.
When she returned to her room, she put on a pair of white flats, and she was ready!
She and Amber walked together to Granny's Diner, but Amber left as Rowena entered the small diner.
Rowena looked around the diner and finally spotted John sitting at a table next to a window.
'How long has he been here?' she wondered to herself as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall. 6:15.
'Six-fifteen?! I had no idea I was late!'
When John saw her approaching the table, he smiled, giving her butterflies again.
"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Rowena exclaimed as she took a seat in the booth across from him.
He waved her off. "Oh, don't worry about it! I haven't been here for very long." That was a lie. He had been there since 5:45, but he didn't want her to feel bad.
"I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" he said.
"Nice to meet you, Starving. I'm Rowena." she joked. "I'm just teasing. I'm hungry too!"
When one of the waitresses named Ruby came to take their order, they both got some of Granny's lasagna. As they ate, they talked about anything and everything. Then suddenly, he asked if she had ever thought about having kids. It seemed like a strange question to her.
"Well, of course!" she answered. "I've always dreamed about having a couple of kids, maybe three, eventually."
"That's how many I've always wanted too." John said.
At first, Rowena thought that maybe he was just saying that, but remembered that he had been honest on the previous date. Before Rowena finished her meal, she got full. So they got it in a to-go box and John began to walk her home. Before they had gone very far, they saw two kids sitting on a bench, tapping their feet on the sidewalk. One looked like a girl, and the other looked like a boy.
"Where are their parents?" Rowena asked.
"They're orphans' Rowena." John said. "Ava and Nicholas Zimmer. They hang around the animal shelter often. I don't know where they live."
"Oh."
As they got closer, Nicholas clutched at his stomach and moaned a little.
"Shh, Nicholas." Ava said, rubbing her brother's knee affectionately. "We'll get food soon, I promise."
When they reached the bench, Rowena couldn't help herself. She stopped and knelt in front of them.
"I heard that you guys are hungry." she said, and she handed them her dinner leftovers.
"Are you sure?" Ava asked.
"Go ahead." Rowena answered as she stood up.
"Thank you!" Nicholas said, leaping up and giving her a bear hug.
"Thanks so much!" Ava said, giving Rowena a hug as well.
"You're welcome." she said. Then the two kids ran off with the food. When she returned her attention to John, he was smiling at her.
"What?" she asked.
"Not many people would have done that." he said as they started walking again.
"I'd like to think you would." she said.
"Yeah, I probably would."
After a few more minutes, they reached Rowena's apartment.
"I had a great time." she said, smiling up at him.
"Me too." he replied and smiled, giving her butterflies for the umpteenth time that night.
"Well, goodnight." she said. She turned to enter the building, but he caught her arm and spun her back around, taking her by surprise. Then he leaned down and kissed her. And not on the cheek this time. No. He kissed her full on the mouth. Just as she was deciding that she liked it, he pulled away. Seeing the look on her face, he frowned and said, "Too soon?" Without a word, she grabbed him by his shirt collar and kissed him back. The butterflies intensified when he moved his hands to cup her face. Then they pulled apart, but he kept her face cradled in his palms, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb.
"I'll take that as a 'no' then?" he said, making her giggle.