Unspoken

Chapter 6

Mia's phone buzzed as she walked out of her morning class, coffee in hand. The message was from Jake. They hadn't seen each other in person for two days, not since she met his family. It wasn't for lack of trying though, their schedules just didn't seem to meet in the middle.

Jake: Morning! How's your day so far?

Mia: Just started. Finished my first class of three. You?

Jake: I got roped into an early meeting. I need coffee to survive.

Mia: Coffee solves everything.

Jake: Agreed. So... what's the verdict on modern art? Do you secretly hate it?

Mia grinned, her thumbs flying across the screen.

Mia: Not secretly. I have opinions.

Jake: Oh, I'm bracing myself for this.

Mia: Some of it's brilliant. The rest looks like a toddler got loose with paint.

Jake: Bold take from an art history major.

Mia: Hey, I love art. That doesn't mean I have to like all of it.

The conversation flowed easily as they exchanged quips, gifs and random photos of their daily life. When Mia got to her internship, she stole a moment during her break to check her phone.

Jake: Do you have a favorite artist, or is that too cliché to ask?

Mia: Definitely cliché. But... I'll allow it. Kandinsky is my go-to. You?

Jake: Van Gogh. Starry Night is overrated, but the rest? Beautiful.

Mia: I'll give you that.

After work, Mia settled onto the couch, pulling a blanket over her legs as her phone buzzed in her hand. Seeing Jake's name on the incoming FaceTime call brought a smile to her face, a relief after the day she'd had.

She answered, and Jake's face filled the screen, his familiar smirk softening the edges of her stress. "Hey," he signed.

"Hey yourself," she signed back one handed. "What's up?"

Jake leaned closer to the camera with a worried expression. "You look like you had a day. What happened?"

Mia groaned, setting her phone against a propped-up pillow to free her hands. "Some museum-goer thought our jobs were as babysitters and the exhibits a playground. Their kid almost crawled under the barrier by the sculpture hall."

Jake blinked, his expression switching to one of mock horror. "No! The sculpture hall? The sacred ground of art?"

Mia laughed despite herself. "Right? I had to ask a coworker to handle it. I wasn't about to try having a full-on discussion with someone who couldn't be bothered to look up from their phone. And guess what? They weren't even embarrassed when someone called them out. Just shrugged and said, 'Kids will be kids.'"

Jake shook his head, signing slowly for emphasis. "Wow. I'm amazed you kept your cool."

"It wasn't easy," Mia admitted, her hands moving quickly. "But hey, nothing broke, and I didn't get fired, so... win?"

Jake laughed, his shoulders shaking. "Definitely a win. I'd have lost my patience halfway through."

"Oh, I came close," Mia confessed, her expression showing how much restraint she'd needed. "But at least it's over. What about you? Any disasters today?"

Jake frowned shaking his head with a sigh. "Yes, someone left a mess in the break room. They spilled coffee! It was a crime against humanity!"

Mia raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You're so dramatic. Coffee mess is the tragedy of your day?"

"It's the principle," Jake shot back, feigning outrage. "If you can't respect the coffee, what else are you ruining in life?"

Mia laughed, leaning into the banter. Their easy back-and-forth helped the tension of her day fade away. They touched on lighter topics like their favorite snacks growing up, which Jake insisted was cereal straight out of the box, while Mia argued for chips with salsa and guacamole.

Jake shifted slightly, his grin becoming more mischievous. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

Mia shrugged. "Not much. Just class and work until about 5:30. Why?"

Jake nodded as though filing the information away. His grin widened mischievously.

"Why?" Mia asked, narrowing her eyes.

Jake's only response was a shrug and a mysterious smile before he signed, "You'll see," and ended the call.

Mia stared at her blank screen, a mix of excitement and nervousness blooming in her chest. What was he planning? Whatever it was, she already knew tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.