My Dearest, Laurens

Chapter 17

John and I were walking hand in hand through the farmers market that was nearby because he said I needed to eat and because he loves farmers markets.

"Anything?" I asked eyeing a fruit stand.

"I said we could have anything you want for dinner tonight." He said squeezing my hand. He noticed me basically having eye sex with the peaches at a fruit stand and walked over to the lady working, pulling me along. "Is there a way I can buy a single peach?" He asked point at a crate of them.

"Well normally people just buy a quart but okay." She said. "One dollar."

"Thank you so much," John gushed handing her a one. He took a peach and handed it to me. As we were walking away he laughed, "You should have asked silly."

"Sorry, I didn't want to be a bother." I said with my mouth full. "God this is so good." I said taking another bite.

"Any ideas on dinner?" John said walking over to a stand with a variety of candies.

I looked over the rainbow of cavities waiting to happen. "I want soup." I said picking up a strange looking lollipop. "What is this?" I asked John.

"Oh, candy crystals." He said. "You can make them at home too, it's so cool."

"Cavities." I said putting it down.

"You worry too much." He said. He picked up something called a Nerds Rope and gave the lady working fifty cents.

"I do not." I said taking a piece of the candy from him.

"Remember in college when I drank myself to death?" He said smugly.

"You died." I retorted.

"Touché." He said. "What kind of soup do you want?"

"One that doesn't involve any meat." I said, "Meat in soup is weird."

"Vegetable soup?" He asked, finishing the candy and tossing the wrapper into a trash can.

I gasped, "Yes. Oh gosh that sounds amazing." I gushed.

"Okay." He pulled me over to a stand that had fruits, vegetables and an array for breads.

A stand with colorful cakes and desserts caught my eye. "John, I'm gonna be over here," I pointed at the cakes and started to walk away.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me back over and I looked at him a bit worried. "Here." He handed me a twenty, "Get something." My face lit up and I kissed his cheek.

I looked over the various desserts. There were macaroons and cupcakes and small cakes and big cakes. I seriously felt like a kid again. There was a large display with a three tier wedding cake surrounded by flower petals. I smiled to myself, remembering the cake from our wedding. Mostly how much I laughed when John got cake up his nose. John appeared at my side with a bag full of vegetables.

"My mom used to make big batches of soup and freeze the leftovers." He said. He noticed the wedding cake too and laughed. "I remember when you got cake up my nose and you laughed so hard you fell over."

I hit his arm and stuck my tongue out. "Those coffee macaroons look so good." I said pointing to the tan pastries.

"Get some." He said shrugging.

"Okay," I said as John waved over the man working the stand. "What kind do you want?" I asked him.

"The blue ones." He said.

"The blue are just vanilla," the guy said, putting five coffee macaroons into a box.

"Perfect." John said.

"Thank you," I said taking the box of macaroons and my change.

I handed the change to John and opened the box, putting a coffee macaroon in my mouth.

"Feed me one my hands are full," John said opening his mouth. I carefully put a blue one in his mouth and closed the box.

I linked our arms and let John lead me out of the maze of stands.

"That was fun." I said to him as we got closer to the apartment building.

"Yes it was," he said back, "I'm just glad you're eating."

"Me too." I said. "God I didn't realise how hungry I was."

"Oh, can you pick up a pack of freezer bags?" He handed me a ten. "I would come with you but I want to start this soup before my arm falls off."

I took the ten, "Yeah of course." I said.

"Great, thanks honey." He kissed me quickly and left towards the apartment. I walked across the street to the plaza that had a Target.