The Story Of Us

Chapter 7 ◇Steers◇

They stepped into the restaurant, the familiar smells and sounds of a busy eatery greeting them. Catherine led them to a booth tucked away in a corner, away from the hustle and bustle of the main area.

Sitting down, she picked up the waiting menu, her eyes scanning the breakfast options.

Lerato followed suit, picking up the other menu and also starting to peruse the breakfast items. The smells of cooked meat and fresh coffee wafted over from the counter, making her mouth water.

"I'm thinking I'll have the full breakfast," Catherine said, setting her menu back down. "Can't go past bacon, sausage, and eggs, in my opinion."

She chuckled softly, leaning back in her seat. "But, what about you, dear? Found something that caught your fancy?"

Lerato looked up from the menu, and her brow furrowed slightly as she still tried to make her decision.

"I'm debating between the waffles and the pancakes," she admitted, looking a little conflicted. "The waffles sound really good, but the pancakes are a classic..." Catherine chuckled, amused by the girl's indecision.

"You could always order both," she suggested jokingly. "Have the best of both worlds."

Lerato let out a small laugh, the tension in her shoulders relaxing as she shook her head. She clearly found the idea of ordering both breakfasts to be a little ridiculous.

"Yeah, that might be a bit much," she said, a smile on her face. "I think I'll just stick to the pancakes. Can't really go wrong with a classic, right?" Catherine nodded, her own smile widening.

"Exactly," she agreed. "You can't beat a good stack of pancakes. They're sweet, fluffy, and pair perfectly with some good maple syrup and a cup of coffee."

"And don't forget the bacon," Catherine added, her tone turning jokingly serious. "Can't have pancakes without at least some bacon to balance out the sweetness."

Lerato laughed again, enjoying the playfulness in Catherine's tone. "Okay, okay," she agreed, hands raised in mock surrender. "Pancakes, bacon, and coffee. That sounds like a plan."

"Good girl," Catherine replied, her eyes bright with humor. "I'm glad we could come to a decision. Can't have us leaving here hungry now, can we?" Lerato set the menu down and leaned back in her seat, feeling more relaxed now that she had made a decision.

Just then, a waiter approached their booth, pen, and notepad in hand.

"Are you folks ready to order?" he asked cheerfully.

"Yes," Catherine said, straightening up in her seat and casting a quick glance at the waiter.

"I'll have the full English breakfast, please," she said before gesturing to Lerato. "And she'll have the pancakes, with bacon, and a of coffee."

The waiter nodded, scribbling the order down in his notepad. "Excellent choices," he said with a smile. "I'll get those started for you right away."

He hurried off to place the order, leaving the two of them alone again in the cozy booth. Once the waiter was gone, Catherine leaned back against the booth, her eyes drifting over the girl once more.

"You seem a lot more relaxed now," she observed, a small smile on her face. "You were pretty tense earlier when we were walking around."

Lerato shifted in the seat, a little embarrassed that she had been so obvious in her anxiety.

"Yeah," she admitted, a slight blush staining her cheeks. "I was just... kind of overthinking things, you know?"

Catherine leaned forward and put a hand over Lerato's. "I know leaving home I'd hard, but trust me, you've made the right decision."