𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 - 𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙜.

𝐕𝐈𝐈.

◇─◇──◇─◇

𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐃𝐘 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘, 𝐀𝐍𝐗𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅. She quickly changed into the clothes that she was wearing the day before, folding the gown she was lent carefully. She tucked the little bundle under her arm and padded out into the hallway, expecting Nicky and Aurora to still be asleep. She was only half right.

As she walked into the kitchen, on her way to drop off the gown into the laundry hamper, she spotted the back of a man's head. Nicky's head, to be exact. The delicious smell of frying bacon paired with the sound of it's sizzling made her mouth water. He was cooking breakfast? How odd, she thought, not making her presence known. Instead, she watched for a moment in curiosity, before sneaking away to the laundry room to put away the clothes she had borrowed.

Only when she was finished did she come back into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Nicky." She said. The man jumped, nearly throwing the spatula he was using to push around the bacon in the grease.

"Mannaggia!" He exclaimed, trying to catch the spatula before it clattered to the ground and woke up Aurora. "You can't sneak up on me like that!" he was whispering, but his voice was rough and carried a tone of annoyance that also suggested he was a little bit amused. "What are you, a goddamn mouse or somethin'?"

Kennedy brought a hand to her lips to muffle her laugh. Here this man was, a doctor no less, still in pajamas. And he was cooking. What an odd sight, a man cooking breakfast. Normally that was a woman's job, no? He must be eccentric, Kennedy decided. He had to be, otherwise he would be making a big deal of his act of kindness, as if humans did not need food to function properly.

"I'm sorry Nicky." she said after some time, taking care not to reveal her laughter through her words. "I'm used to having to be quiet." Nicky raised an eyebrow at this remark, but did not comment on it.

"Sit down." he said, turning back to the stove and gesturing over his shoulder to the dining table. "I've got texas toast too, if the French variety of breakfast foods sparks your fancy." Kenny did as told, sitting down and allowing herself to take in her surroundings in a more intimate way than she had ever allowed herself to do so before.

Everything in Nicky Ricci's house had a place. The decor was fashionable, but didn't really make sense for the man who resided among it. Clearly, it was a woman's touch, no doubt. There were bright colors, and sunburst clocks. A pink Frigidaire and an mint green stove. None of this screamed Nicky. He reminded Kennedy more of a spring morning. Right after a rain, where the air had a bit of a bite, but was refreshing to sit in, clothed in your summer outfits. He embodied picnics in plush grass on seersucker quilts, savoring strawberries dipped in marshmallow fluff together as the sound of a child's joyous laughter tinkles in your ears like a bell.

Nicky himself was not far off from the sight Kennedy had been imagining. His pajamas were comprised of a pale blue striped linen, and they hung off his frame like a hand-me-down from a bigger brother. The more he worked with his hands the more the collar rode back, exposing the back of his neck, which had been burnt a deep brown shade from the kiss of the sun. The gold chain he wore was a beautiful contrast, and it glinted in the early morning sun which was streaming through the open windows. Kennedy crossed her legs.

"You watch the eggs. They're yours so let 'em cook as long as you like. I'm gonna wake up Aurora." Nicky said, interrupting Kennedy's reverie. He startled her, and he did not miss the rose colored dust that spread across her cheeks.

In just a moment, he returned, carrying quite the sleepy looking little girl on his hip. She had her face buried in the crook of his neck, and the frills on the neckline of her nightgown tickled Nicky's face. Noticing that the eggs had cooked to the point of medium, just how the little girl liked it, she put them on a plate. Along with the bacon that Nicky had made and some toast, it was a breakfast of champions. She sat the platter in front of the little girl with a soft smile.

"I thought I told you those were yours?" Nicky asked, eyeing Kennedy with a quirked eyebrow. His tone wasn't sharp, just curious.

"Oh yes, well," Kennedy began with a smile as he joined her side in front of the stove. "Aurora likes her eggs cooked medium. They were about there when you toted her in. I like mine hard, you see. I just figured the little lady was hungry, and she came in at just the right time."

"Ah." was all Nicky had to say in response, but the gesture struck him harder then he let on.

The rest of breakfast went off without a hitch, Nicky and Kennedy finishing the cooking together and eating at the same table, sharing amused looks at Aurora, who had somehow managed to cover her entire face with maple syrup. Nicky disappeared in the direction of the master bedroom and was gone for some time. Kennedy took advantage of his absence, cleaning Aurora up and getting her dressed for the day before he got back. When he did return, he walked into the kitchen looking as prim as ever, fastening an expensive looking gold watch onto his wrist.

"I see you replaced your watch!" Kennedy commented cheerfully.

"I... did." he replied, his response sounding more like a question than a statement. A light flush of rose stole into his cheek. "C'mon. My mother is watching Aurora today, so I'll take you home on my way to drop her off."

Kennedy gave him directions the entire way there. Despite her diligence, he nearly missed the final turn.

"What, really?" he sounded incredulous as he pulled into the parking lot. "A hotel?" Kennedy nodded, a little put out by his confusion. She knew her situation wasn't the greatest, but that fact coming from her employer just made her feel even worse about it. On the other hand, Nicky was kicking himself. He should have known this. He wished Kennedy had come to him. Even when they didn't know each other, he would have put her somewhere better than a hotel. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white. Clearly, there was still much to be learned about this woman.

He quickly exited the car and walked around the passenger side to let Kennedy out. "Thank you," she said, keeping her head down.

"Do you want me to walk you in?" he asked, offering her his arm.

"No, thank you Mr. Ricci." she began to walk away toward the entrance of the hotel. Nicky leaned against the door, a frown beginning to form on his face. Only when Kennedy disappeared behind tempered glass did he shut it and climb back into the driver's side.

"Kenny's upset." Aurora said matter-of-factly, from her carseat in the back. Nicky sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I know doll, and I don't even know what I did."

The rest of the ride to Ma Bilotti's was quiet. Aurora didn't seem to come out of her usual laconic state other than her little outburst at the hotel, and she instead watched the world go by outside the window, transfixed.