Chasing Midnight

25: reverie

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AYANNA

Sunrise hitting my face wakes me up the next morning. The chirping and humming birds are heard outside.

The trees that were seen over the windows gave a peaceful sight.

Sighing as I remember our very first conflict yesterday, I forced myself to sit up carefully not wanting to wake her up beside me.

I quietly made my way to the bathroom and left Maui in bed with her deep slumber.

I headed downstairs after I fixed myself up and decided to make breakfast for us.

Rubbing the back of my head with a heavy feeling while I wait for the toast. The headache I felt last night seems worse this morning.

I sighed and picked the bread and put it on the table, I covered my mouth when I coughed, sniffing as I massage my temples.

I cooked fried rice and chicken pesto with buttered crab meat for breakfast.

My throat felt dry and at the same time sore, my body felt heavy so I decided to sit down for a while.

The breakfast is already done. I looked at my watch to see the time, 8 a.m

Sighing I gathered myself up to drink a paracetamol and decided to check Maven in her room but just when I'm about to go out of the kitchen. Maven in her mother's arms met my eyesight.

"Good morning Mom!" Maven beams out her brightest smile, the way her eyes disappear every time she shows it.

"Good morning baby" I greeted her back as I walked towards them and picked her up from her mother's arms.

"Good morning" Maui greets me when I pass her but I decide to act like I didn't hear her and walk back to the dining room with Maven in my arms.

"How's your sleep?" I softly ask Maven as I place her on the chair.

"It's good, Mom" She cheekily smiles, which anyone who sees her would fall in love with how adorable and cute she is when she smiles like this.

I stop myself from kissing her because of my colds, so I rub her cheeks and brush her hair up instead.

I do her plate and only put the amount of food she can take.

I smiled at her as I watched her start to dig for her food.

We ate in silence until we finished, only me and my daughter talked while eating while Maui just listened since I've been intentionally ignoring her existence.

Maven runs to the living room to watch her favorite morning show since it was Saturday today.

Leaving her mother and I in an awkward silence as another moment of dead atmosphere filled the dining.

I fidget with my fingers as I felt her stares when I kept my mouth shut and never looked at her, I stood up from my seat that made her look up and our eyes unexpectedly met.

She stared at me with guilt and was about to open her mouth to say a word but I already looked away and went to the sink after gathering the dishes.

I started to do the dishes when I felt her presence behind.

"Hey..." She called as she stopped and stood beside me

"Hey" I said back but didn't spare her a glance. Suddenly the pain I had yesterday from her cold eyes came back.

"Are you mad?" She asked, I stopped for a moment and sigh.

"No. Are you?" I countered back, washing the plates.