A Second Chance at Love

Chapter 22 - "Why the sad faces!"

~ Chapter 22 - “Why the sad faces!”~

A few minutes later, the tears have dried and Matthew silently motioned to Ellie if he can sit with them and she nodded her approval.

Letting go of the little girl, Matt sat down between the two and offered a small smile to Amber who was paying close attention to his movements.

“Why the sad faces!” Carlos exclaimed upon reaching their table with Ellie and Amber’s food.

“Well, we owe it to your slow service !” Matthew replied with a mischievous smile while his friend placed the food in front of the girls.

Carlos gave a dramatic gasp while his hand flew to his heart, “slow service ? I will let you know mister that good food takes time!” he retorted.

“Oh well great! One could die while waiting for your food to be ready!” came Matthew’s reply.

“Well maybe one should eat somewhere where the food arrives quicker and taste like garbage !” Carlos replied, his hands on his hips.

“Maybe one will !” retorted Matthew with a large smile.

At that moment, Ellie was grateful for the silly banter that started between the two friends. She stole a glance at her daughter, the little girl was watching the two men arguing with a growing smile.

“Are you going to order something or are you going to make noise in my restaurant ?” Carlos’ voice broke Ellie’s reverie.

Matthew looked at Ellie and shrugged, silently asking for her permission to sit at their table. Ellie nodded her approval with a small smile and he sat down while ordering a pepperoni pizza.

Once Carlos departed, Matthew turned to Amber with a smile, “are you not going to taste your food ?”

The little girl was so engrossed in the banter that she forgot about the pizza that was placed in front of her. Shaking out of her daze, the little girl picked up her fork as the 3 adults waited for her verdict. And they were not disappointed.

The moment that she tasted the pizza, Amber’s eyes widened in wonder and her lips spread into a large smile. She started swaying from side to side, a habit Ellie had observed of hers when she tasted really good food.

Her happiness soon spread to the adults. Matthew settled in the seat between the two with a smile as Ellie started to eat her pasta and Carlos went to prepare Matt’s food.

Silence sets in as the Amber and Ellie enjoyed their food, the little girl did not peep a word as she savours her pizza, the creamy soft cheese sticking to her puffy cheeks as she munched on the crust of her current piece. Looking up from a message he was sending to a newfound artist, Matt chuckled at the cheese stained cheeks of the little girl.

Without thinking, he grabbed a corner of his napkin and wiped the grease from her cheeks. Catching the action, Ellie’s heart squeezed in her chest. Her guilt resurfaced.

When Matt’s eyes met hers, she offered a soft smile and he returned the gesture.

Later on that night, Ellie was once again on the couch clutching another pillow as she related the meeting with Dean to her best friend. The latter had barely given her the time to take a shower before bombarding her with questions, she wanted to know everything.

Her excitement has however quickly morphed into anger as Ellie went over the events of the day, some tears escaping without her consent. Angie had to fight the urge to shake her into sense, her best friend needed her to be her ally at this moment.

She knew better than anyone that Ellie was lost but she also knew that it was an issue that her friend needed to solve herself. All she can do was stay by her side and provide the support that she would need along the way.