VIRIDITY • jb

thirty eight.

          Everybody else in the house has already waken up, but there's still no breakfast cooking nor prepared. I felt bad for being one of the first people to wake up and I didn't even try to make something.

          “I know what you're thinking but don't bother. It's Wendy's birthday today. We're going out to eat breakfast,” Justin reassures me, patting my back. Oh.

          “Now I feel bad that I had no idea it's her birthday,” I sigh.

          He pulls me sideward to him, squeezing me. “You're so damn cute.”

          Sophia sees Justin squishing me, rolling her eyes while smiling. “Stop killing my sister Justin. You're literally melting her. She looks like a lava right now.”

          I can feel Justin smirking at my sister. “Oh yeah?”

          “Really, Soph? A lava? You guys are crazy. Stop making fun of me,” I giggle, still in Justin's grasp.

          I end up sitting with Sophia on the backseat of Pattie's car. Wendy and the kids are with Justin. We stopped over this cozy diner not far from their residence.

         “This is Wendy's favorite diner. She met Justin through me, and there's where they first met each other,” Sophia fills me in. “Since birth, she celebrates her birthday breakfast here.”

          “You know her before Justin? So is she like a model?” I ask after nodding.

          “No, she's a really good actress. We have filmed a couple of commercials with her.”

          I nod. “So are you good friends with her?”

          “Yeah I am. We have this kind of chemistry and we like working with each other.”

          I bob my head yet again, following Pattie as she makes it inside the diner. The staff automatically greets Wendy a happy birthday and we situated ourselves in the usual booth they sit on according to Pattie.

          Everyone orders their food and I decided to get grilled cheese sandwiches and a hot cocoa. Justin scrunches his nose at my choice of food. “I talked to someone online and you guys have the same favorite breakfast go-to.”

          “They both taste good! What's wrong with you?” I defend. “And who knows, maybe I'm that stranger you talked to. I often spend my time talking to strangers in this certain website. Or maybe someone decided to copy my identity.”

          “Maybe it was the latter. I'm sure no one would have the same taste as you, doofus.”

          “Whatever. My food isn't weird, it's you.”

          The food came and we eat peacefully, but actually I didn't because of Justin's cringing glances to annoy me. Sophia taps my arm as I finish half of my food and talks after swallowing a bite of pancake. “Wendy wants to have an after party later at night in some bar. You coming?”

          “What about the kids?”

          “It will be late at night and I'm sure they'll be sleeping beside Pattie as she looks after them.”

          “You should come, Liv. It'll be fun. As much as I like you thinking about the twins, I think you need some shots tonight.”

          I look at Wendy who is currently talking to her kids and Pattie, clapping their hands. She looks so happy and beautiful and being carefree about it. “I'll go.”