Loving him was red

7. The moment I knew

After their college team had won the game, Daisy went home. Justin told her he'd be there at 11 so she had time to prepare and decorate. She set up some candles and lit them up in her bedroom. Daisy was excited, she loved birthdays, she loved presents, decorating and wanted everything to be perfect; It was the one day of the year when it was about her.

She looked at the time in her night stand, 11:15. Daisy sat on the bed wearing only her red lingerie and lipstick, waiting impatiently as the minutes went by, 11:30, 11:40, 11:45...

Her phone rang, she jumped and picked it up. It was Justin.

- Where are you? I've been waiting for you - Daisy said annoyedly tired. 

- I'm sorry baby - Justin answered on the other side of the line - Don't wait for me, I will be there in the morning, I got caught up with some stuff here...

Daisy sighed, desolated.

- I wish I could be there, happy birthday Daisy - he said trying to make her feel better - Love you!

- I love you too.

She hung up and just laid there looking at her ceiling fan, spinning around its own axis over and over again. After a while she found the energy to get up and blow the candles out, put on her pajamas and crawl back into bed.

Before falling asleep she thought "what a great birthday".

The next morning she woke up late, but jumped out of bed excited. It was her birthday. She had breakfast and got dressed up, she wanted to impress Justin.

Daisy started to get impatient at 12 o'clock, but she knew Justin had to drive an hour to get there so she assumed he'd be on his way to her apartment. She grabbed her phone and sent his boyfriend a message.

"Hey babe, when are you coming?"

She waited anxiously for a response, but her phone remained silent. Daisy's enthusiasm started to wane as the minutes passed. She checked her phone again, hoping for a message from Justin.

She whispered desperately "Come on, Justin. Where are you?."

Daisy sat on her worn-out couch, surrounded by party decorations she put up the night before. She stared at her phone, disappointment creeping into her eyes. The apartment felt silent and empty.

Daisy sent another text, trying to hide her growing concern.

"Hey, everything okay?"

Still no response. Daisy bit her lip, pacing back and forth, glancing at the clock anxiously, it was almost 2 in the afternoon. The birthday cake on the table remained untouched. Daisy slumped onto the couch, feeling the weight of disappointment. And finally she realized Justin wasn't going to come. Daisy tried to hold back tears, blinking rapidly to keep them from falling. She felt a lump in her throat, a mix of hurt, confusion and anger welling up inside her.

But suddenly her phone started ringing. Daisy's heart skipped a beat as she rushed to answer it, hoping it was Justin.

But it wasn't. It was... Caleb?

- What do you want? - she asked, annoyed, trying to hide that she'd been crying.

- Nothing - Caleb said through the phone - Are you okay?

The question took her by surprise, and she realized why he'd called her, Daisy had forgotten about their plans to watch football that day, she never showed. Caleb's question cracked the walls she had put up to protect herself.

- Not really... - she was surprised she even said that to him, to Caleb.

- Why? Isn't it your birthday? - he replied unbothered.

- Yeah, it's just that Justin didn't come... but it's fine

Caleb couldn't understand how people could be that stupid. Relationships to start with were a waste of time and effort, he always got tired of people too fast and preferred to be alone.

- It's not, that' a pretty fucked up thing if you ask me.

- I guess so - Daisy said, he was right.

She still had feelings for him, no doubt. But it just wasn't the same as when they started dating a few years ago. The whole cheating thing had messed everything up. And now, being stood up on her big day?  It was the last straw. 

Sitting there, in her room, she couldn't ignore the fact that she deserved better.  She'd been putting up with his crap for way too long. So with a mix of anger and sadness, she decided to end it.

- Do you want some company? - she heard Caleb ask - The second quarter is about to start.

Daisy didn't know what to say, she didn't wanna spend the day alone, but she wasn't in the mood to go out so she agreed. She didn't expect him to actually be nice, but I guess it was just basic human decency.

A few minutes later the bell rang, she had changed into her sweats and got up to open the door. Daisy was met with a surprising sight. Caleb stood there holding a bouquet of flowers. More specifically daisies.

- Happy birthday, I guess - he said leaning into the door frame.

Daisy couldn't help but to laugh a little bit.

- Really? Daisies? - She took it in her hands and told him to enter the apartment.

Despite her attempt to smile, Caleb could see her eyes were still red.

- I'm sorry about Justin - He said sitting on the couch comfortably.

Daisy thanked him by giving him a beer, the tv was already on and she plopped back down on the couch hugging her legs. She couldn't help but get excited when she saw Taylor hyping up Travis, but after a while she stopped smiling again. They sat in silence for a while, the cheers and commentary from the TV filling the room. Caleb couldn't help but to steal glances at Daisy, he'd never seen her like that, like a ghost.

Despite her initial reluctance, Daisy found herself appreciating Caleb's company. The shared experience of disappointment and the distraction of the football game created an unexpected connection between them, only for a moment.

- So, what are you gonna do? he asked, attempting to break the uneasy quiet, when the second quarter ended

Daisy shrugged as a pause hung in the air.

- I think I forgave too much and it's time that... I guess I'm breaking up with him - she blurted out. - He said he'd be here, you know? - she blinked fast trying to prevent the tears from leaving her eyes.

Caleb's expression softened, realizing the gravity of the conversation. A few moments later Daisy's stomach rumbled involuntarily, she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Daisy silently watched as Caleb got up and moved around her kitchen, chopping vegetables and seasoning a pot on the stove.

As the aroma of spices filled the air, Daisy found herself drawn to the scene. She sat at the kitchen table, observing Caleb's focused yet careful movements. Minutes turned into an hour, and the silence between them became more comfortable and they didn't even realize the game was over and the Chiefs had won.

Finally, Caleb placed a steaming bowl in front of Daisy. It was a dish she had never tasted before, but the rich aroma alone was enough to lift her spirits. He pulled out a chair and sat across from her.

- Thank you - Surprisingly touched, Daisy managed a small smile. She took a hesitant bite of the food Caleb had prepared, and to her surprise, it was delicious. The flavors danced on her taste buds, distracting her from the weight of sadness for a moment. - You didn't have to.

Caleb brushed it off and said it was fine.

- It's really good - Daisy said impressed - Where did you learn to cook like this?

- My dad, he taught me. I found it oddly therapeutic. It became a kind of an escape.

As he spoke, Caleb's demeanor softened, revealing a side of him that Daisy had never seen before. There was a vulnerability in the way he shared this part of his past, a vulnerability that mirrored her own on that lonely birthday.

As they continued their conversation, Daisy couldn't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, that birthday wouldn't be defined by sadness after all.