Till There Was You

The Lonely Table

A/N: If you wish to succeed in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.

Joseph Addison

***

6:12 am

I woke up after less than four hours of sleep.

I rolled over and stared at Althea and my heart leaped at the sight of her sleeping figure.

We have been living together for a few months now and I love waking up beside her.

The soft sound of her breathing and the way she looks like she's smiling even though she's not, tugged at my heartstrings.

I peered at the window and saw the early morning light streaming from the curtains.

A part of me wanted to stay in bed and cuddle with my sleeping girlfriend but my mind was awake.

There are countless thoughts running in my head and I feel overwhelmed.

To me, it seems like everything is a priority but the truth is, it's not.

Early morning, before I returned to the condo, I made a decision.

My choice wasn't the most favorable but it's the right one.....at least for me.

I slowly got up and walked towards the bathroom, taking extra care not to wake up Althea.

Once inside, I washed my face and the cold water shocked my system.

I quickly brushed my teeth and when I was done, I went downstairs to the kitchen.

***

7:11 am

When I used to live in the mansion, I didn't even know how to boil water.

Everything was prepared for us.

The luxurious lifestyle my brothers and I enjoyed were something I appreciated when I moved in with

Althea.

Growing up with everything handed to us was a privilege.

Learning to do things on my own, and knowing that I am actually capable of surviving without the

presence of the help, was fulfilling.

I listened to the crackle of the olive oil in the pan as I fried two eggs, well done, just as Althea liked it.

I added two strips of bacon and the aroma that used to make me feel happy, now made me nostalgic,

almost teary-eyed.

My mind consciously tried to remember every detail of the kitchen--the granite counter top, the

magnetic knife holder in between the aluminum sink and the stove.

The black two-door refrigerator, with a colored picture of us posted on the door, taken while we were

waiting for Papa at the hospital.

In the photograph, Althea was standing behind me.

She was holding her acoustic guitar with her right hand while her left arm was tightly clutching my waist.

The picture was taken by Batchi and she was able to capture the happiness we felt at that moment.

I looked away and removed the eggs and bacon from the pan.