Reminiscing

Breakfast

Candice's POV~

You know those cliché movies you see on TV where two lovers wake up overly excited after a passionate night?

Yeah, that wasn't Nancy and me.

I woke up extremely pissed and with an unsettled stomach. Maybe it was the champagne I had had the previous night, or maybe Mrs. Perez's bitter, stingy words had somehow managed to unsettle my whole being.

Who was I kidding?

Maybe it was the champagne and Nancy's way of hogging the blankets at night.

I guess this is what happens when you spend so much time sleeping on your own. You get used to the emptiness beside you and find the need to provide yourself with that missing warmth by the blankets.

Either way, I was not bursting with excitement this morning.

What I needed was a good shower, breakfast and a bit of sunlight. So with a good stretch, I lifted myself off of what used to be our bed and I headed to the joined bathroom.

When the warm water was splashing on me with just the right pressure, I finally sighed in contentment.

This was definitely what I needed.

I tried to hurry up in order to prepare some breakfast before Nancy woke up. I felt like I owed her as much. After standing her up on our dinner, then having her drive all the way out just to give me a lift—she definitely deserved it.

So after wrapping a towel around me, I raided my closet for anything to wear. Finally deciding on something simple and comfortable.

I immediately headed to the kitchen and began to take out the things I would need in order to make pancakes.

Not even thirty minutes later, I already had a pile of pancakes, scrambled eggs and of course bacon.

I rushed to the dining room to set up the table, stopping abruptly when I saw it.

Still set up.

If I felt bad about standing up on our dinner with Nancy before—I felt absolutely horrible now!

She had really gone all out!

The table was clad in a burgundy tablecloth that I instantly recognized as the one Nancy had taken with us on our very first picnic.

There were candles, glass cups, the best plates, and silverware. Everything was set up so nicely and I could only imagine what it must have looked like yesterday, at night, while the candles were lit and casting dancing shadows over the empty room.

When it should have been the two of us.

When I could have been staring deep into Nancy's beautiful, ocean blue eyes.

I f-cked up.

"I meant to clear this up yesterday." I heard a panicked voice.

I looked over my shoulder in time to catch an embarrassed Nancy, right before she dashed into the room, trying to clear everything up as fast as she possibly could. Her hands flying everywhere, doing the most to gather everything before they could further embarrass her.

I understood her reaction completely.

Nancy wasn't one to let her emotions out in the open.

I knew she had brushed it off and made it seem unimportant yesterday after I mentioned it and apologized for not being able to come as I had promised.

But now that I actually saw what exactly she had prepared, I knew it was everything but meaningless or unimportant.

This was Nancy proving that she cared. That she was willing to put in an effort for this.

For us.

And this was much more than what Nancy had ever shown me since our downhill.

Everything about this dinner and how it was decorated just about screamed 'I care!' and I was fully aware of that.

And so was Nancy.

So, of course, her rush and desperation were understandable.

I finally took a step forward and placed my hands over Nancy's wrists, stopping her altogether.

She kept her gaze lowered onto our hands but I was still aware of the creeping blush that was taking over her beautiful face.

"You don't have to be embarrassed." I murmured against her shoulder.

Her head slowly turned towards me and she bit into her lip.

Okay she seriously needed to stop doing that

"Thank you for doing this—it means a lot." Reaching on my tip toes I kissed her cheek.

Nancy smiled awkwardly but her arms wrapped around my waist nonetheless.

Something I had come to enjoy.

Feeling the weight of her arms around my waist was so satisfying. With just the right pressure and just the right grip.

As soon as my arms encircled her shoulders, her face began to drift closer towards mine and that—almost unrealistic —feeling of butterflies exploding within my insides was enough to have my yearning for Nancy's lips to heighten and multiply.

Just when our lips brushed, and we were mere seconds away from making out—a sweet, thin and melodic voice interrupted.

"Candice?"

Confused, I looked towards the arched entrance of the dining room and there was the source of such precious voice.

A smiling Desiree was happily looking between Nancy and me. She was so beautiful and she had a striking resemblance to Nancy. If I had thought she was adorable yesterday, at night and with poor lighting, then she looked absolutely angelic right at this moment!

Out of surprise, I had immediately let go of Nancy and taken a step back.

How did Nancy's daughter know my name?

Even if Nancy had spoken to her about me, how could she possibly know it was me.

I must admit that this was a pleasant surprise.

"Good morning darling, would you like to have some pancakes?" I enthusiastically offered.

•••

Finally an update, I know 😪

I'm so sorry for such a short chapter, I'm just now beginning to write again. So this is more of a filler chapter than anything, but I will be back and getting used to updating regularly so please bear with me while I get through the writers' block I had and getting the hang of it again.

In the meantime,

Don't forget to vote, follow, and definitely comment! 😃