Dare to Fall

Chapter XXVI

I was jolted awake by the blaring sound of my alarm clock, the obnoxious beeping cutting through my dreams. I slapped the snooze button, groaning into my pillow, trying to coax sleep back into my system. But after ten minutes of futile attempts to drift off again, I reluctantly rolled out of bed.

As I padded into the bathroom, the realization hit me: it was Saturday, the start of Spring break. A wave of relief washed over me, and I rolled my eyes at myself. I considered going back to bed but knew there was no chance of that now. Instead, I brushed my teeth, the minty taste waking me up more than I expected, and headed downstairs to see what my mom had cooked for breakfast.

The moment I stepped into the kitchen, the enticing aroma of freshly made waffles wafted through the air. My stomach grumbled at the scent. I could hear my mom humming as she moved around the kitchen, her usual cheerful self. Leaning against the doorframe, I watched her with a fond smile.

She turned and caught my eye, her expression brightening. "Good morning, sweetie! Want some waffles?"

"Yes, please," I replied, my mouth already watering. I remembered how I used to be madly in love with waffles as a kid, even jokingly saying I'd marry one if I could.

My mom placed two golden waffles on a plate, topped them with whipped cream, and sprinkled fresh blueberries over the mountain of goodness. "Just the way you like them," she said, her smile warm as she slid the plate in front of me.

"Thanks, Mom," I said, grabbing a knife and fork to dig in. Each bite tasted like childhood, sweet and nostalgic.

After finishing my breakfast, I stood up to put my plate in the sink. "Thanks for breakfast, Mom," I said, leaning over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Anytime, darling." She beamed at me, her happiness infectious.

As I turned to head back upstairs, she called my name, making me pause. "Felicity, can you do me a favor?"

I rolled my eyes, instinctively bracing myself for whatever she was about to ask. "What's up?" I asked, attempting to keep my tone polite and casual.

"Luke wants to have dinner tonight, and he'd really like you to come. It would be a good chance for you to meet him."

So his name was Luke. I couldn't help but feel a surge of annoyance. I wasn't ready to meet any of the guys she was dating, especially not some stranger who might try to replace my dad in our lives. "I'd love to, but I have things to do," I said, forcing the words out as if they were true.

"Things to do?" she questioned, her voice skeptical. "It's Spring break! Come on, Felicity. I'm not asking for much."

I sighed. "I just want to spend my vacation alone, okay? You can have your fun with him, but I'm not interested." I turned and walked back to my room, shutting the door behind me.

Once inside, I flopped onto my bed and opened my laptop. I logged onto Pinterest, scrolling aimlessly through a sea of travel destinations and cute outfits, searching for a distraction. A notification popped up from Amelia, my best friend.

Amelia <Today, 8:01 AM>: What's poppin', Jimbo?

I smiled, my fingers dancing over the keyboard as I typed my reply. As soon as I sent it, my phone rang with a Skype call from her. I accepted it without hesitation.

"Wow, you're up early," she said, busying herself in the background, packing for our upcoming vacation.

"Yeah, I woke up thinking it was a school day, but then I remembered it's Saturday. Spring break, finally!" I flopped back onto my bed, letting my pillows cushion my fall.