Second chance to love you

Blueberry

A k i r a 

I try not to relive the moments I kept under lock and key but even Ethan's soft snores can't annul the haunted memories of a future that I am still yet to change. Those weren't dreams. I knew that as soon as I woke up heaving and sweat clinging on me like a second skin. I was about to scream and thrash in terror, if not for the rhythmic breathing of Ethan, lying beside me, reaching my ears.

Pulling me out of the abyss that I had plunged myself into. Those were not dreams. They were not memories either, I failed to give them a suitable enough befitting of their reality. Visions, glimpses you could say. The future that awaits me if I don't get my act together.

Ethan stirs beside me, presumably sensing my absence. I snuggle back into the safety and assurance in his arms. His arms instinctively pulled me closer. A blissful smile blossoms and a firm determination solidifies. No matter what, I am not going back.

"I am sorry" I whisper, low enough for only my ears to hear.

The next time I wake up, I am alone. Panic settles in for a brief moment until my feet take me to the dining room, where Ethan is finishing up breakfast. I smiled in relief, grateful I was not reliving the same nightmare. But ...

"How dare you eat without me?!" My voice cuts through the peace in the room, almost startling Ethan. Almost. He shrugged, still sipping from his coffee mug. I gasped, horrified, as my eyes found a familiar box lying empty on the polished, dark brown table. I watched as Ethan popped the last piece in his mouth and I could do nothing but follow the dip of his Adam's apple as he swallowed.

"My muffins!" I cry out, in genuine horror. I want to cry. I snatch the container, only for the crumbs of my hard-worked muffins to fall to the floor. Suddenly I feel faint.

"My babies" I cry, my face melting. I almost expected tears to fall out but sadly none of them did. I prepared those muffins yesterday with Big G, my now second-favorite person in the whole world. He taught me how to bake blueberry muffins since that was the only thing I couldn't prepare myself when in the upcoming future. And now...

I glare daggers at the perpetrator of such a heinous crime. I need to report him for food theft. The lowest and most disgraceful sin.

His guilty expression did nothing to soothe my wounded heart. I love blueberries. He knew that.

"You ate my muffins that I worked so hard on." My cold voice hissed at him, I clutched the now empty container. He scratched his neck, his face sheepish, until, my words registered in him.

"Wait. You made them?" He sounds like he doesn't believe it like he couldn't believe it. I want to slap him. I am not that useless.

"Nope, the tooth fairy joined an organization promoting tooth decay by creating a magic muffin that pops out of nowhere. you're teeth fallin' out yet?" I said dryly, my sarcasm fueled by my loss. And betrayal. His face falls as he apologizes.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I thought Chef G made them. I will bake more for you ." No, those were mine and his apology is not going to bring them back.

"It's fine, I was going to give them to you to eat anyway."

I hate myself, but he sounded genuinely sorry and I couldn't stay mad at him for more than a few seconds. It's pathetic, I know.

"Wait, you can bake?" Now it was my turn to be shocked. Somehow I don't doubt it, this man has so many skills, how can simple culinary skills like baking be a foreign field for him?

He shrugged dismissively. " Nope, I can cook but I never baked. But how hard can it be?"

And again, I knew he could do it if he put his mind to it. I crossed my arms thoughtfully.