Jam & Jelly

Pancakes for Dinner: Pt. 2

Chapter One: Pancakes for Dinner- (Pt. 2)

(Ellie's POV)

The jitters ran over me, down my spine from my head to my toe. What if she doesn't like me? I closed my eyes, shaking my head as we drove through downtown. She has to like me, I love her. I'm in love with her. I sighed, chewing at my bottom lip. I should have told her.

"Ellie?" Kaen's older cousin, Samuel, called, glancing over at me and repeating his question. "You like the city? Feeling good?"

I nodded my head, breathing in and then out, "Sammy, I should have told her." I began, staring over at him wide eyed, "I reckon I should have said something."

He chuckled at my nervousness. "You'll see."

I know what I did see: Sammy's car driving off out of the lot as he headed for work while I was left gawking over at the field. She was right there, standing on the 30. The entire class then huddled up, creating a tight circle around the director like he was a coach, "Dress casual-" he began. The bell rang and my heart stopped but he kept going. "As if." I muttered, leaning back against her car as more and more students filed out of the high school. My eyes followed her and a smile cracked over my face as a girl, which I had presumed to be Erin, jumped on top of her.

The wait felt never-ending and I found myself going over what I wanted to say. There was so much I wanted to tell Kaen but I didn't know how to explain it. I never thought of myself as good with words, especially when those words consisted of how much I loved her and how important she was to me. Honestly, as cheesy as it sounded, there weren't words meaningful enough or strong enough that would let her know how much she meant to me. I knew exactly how she made me feel; she drove me crazy and I loved it. She always had this way of making me smile, even if I was in a shit mood, and no matter the time difference she would stay up making sure that I was okay. But being there for each other in shit moods was something that we were very good at, and I loved knowing that I could confine to someone and trust someone again.

She had made me feel safe, even from a vast distance away. And I tried my best to make her feel wanted and loved, because she was. Sometimes I tended to over-think, and she'd reassure me that everything was okay. But here I was, again, second guessing everything as I stood, running my fingers through my hair before drawing them together nervously. What do I say to her? It was a question I asked over and over in my mind and the problem was I had no idea how to answer it.

But it was because I didn't know what to say or do that made that moment so special. It was impulse to come to America, it was impulse to stand here and wait for her, and it was impulse to take off running for her when she finally walked out of that damn school, "Ellie!" she shouted, "Ellie!" My eyes widened as I stared at the cracks in the concrete and then my eyes locked onto hers. She was running for me, for me. I took off, and she lifted me up in her arms and she was astatic.

"You? You? You're really here damn it!" I giggled at this, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and neck as my legs found their way around her hips. Kaen had nestled her face against my neck, her words of excitement and joy muffling into my chest and she laughed and snorted, peeking up at me and then back at Erin. "Erin! She's here! She's here! Ellie's here!"

I couldn't explain the feeling of being able to hear her, to see her, to be in her arms; but it was something that I had waited a long time for. I stared down at her and saw the spark in her eyes that I, and I alone, had caused and the words ran over my lips and into her ear, "I've missed you. I love you. You're beautiful. I love you. I love you." And in that moment there was no thinking, just recollection and memories that flooded over me and I smiled widely down at her as she pressed her forehead to mine. Her, Kaen.