Moving Forward (Completed)

Chapter Three

    Katherine woke, curled on her side as close to the edge of the bed as she could feasible get without falling off... something she hadn't done since she shared a bed with Scott.
    "Seriously..." She muttered to herself trying to figure out what made her squish over to the edge. Normally she woke up in the middle of the bed as though she were trying to take up as much of it as possible. When she turned over she saw Rafael sleeping peacefully on his back and the events of last night came back to her. She smiled when she remembered she had still been laying in his arms when she fell asleep, so she assumed she had moved to the edge out of habit... Scott had always complained that she was too hot and would then take over the bed, blaming her if he woke up because of the heat even though he was on her side.
    Katherine glanced at the clock. It was only seven but still two hours later than she was used to getting up so she'd take it. It always took her a few weeks to shake her work schedule. She quietly climbed out of bed, slipping on the gray fitted shirt and navy shorts she had slept in the night before, and exited her room closing the door behind her so she wouldn't disturb him while she made coffee and brushed her teeth.
    The volume was low as she watched the news and had barely finished her first cup when Rafael emerged dressed in yesterdays suit, minus the tie and jacket.
    "The television didn't wake you did it?" Katherine asked. He had set his alarm for nine but it was barely past seven thirty.
    "The television's not what woke me." Rafael smirked, gesturing to the cup of coffee in her hand.
    "There's a full pot brewed in the kitchen." She smiled, standing to get him a cup while refilling her own.
    "What are your plans for today?" He asked wrapping his arms around her and kissing her neck making her giggle.
    "I'm thinking about showering and then doing something touristy before it gets too busy with summer travelers."
    Katherine spun in his arms so she faced him, leaving both cups of coffee on the counter behind her, smiling when he picked his up.
    "Do you want company?"
    "I thought you had to work today?"
    "I meant in the shower." Rafael smirked, taking a sip of coffee.
    "Did you not see how tiny it was last night?" She chuckled.
    "I wasn't really paying attention last night." He replied, running his hand through her hair.
    "It's really tiny."
    Katherine reached out and opened the door leading to the restroom without really moving much from his arms and pointed to the shower that was barely big enough for her.
    "Well that's a little disappointing..."
    "It works for just one person." She chuckled.
    "Next time you'll have to stay at my place." Rafael smiled, pulling her against him with the arm not holding the coffee and kissing her.
    "Do you have time for breakfast? I have eggs and bacon, possibly some toast if my breads still good." Katherine smiled.
    "I wasn't planning to get up until nine so I have time."
    "Great." She said slipping out of his arms to grab the pans she needed from the cabinet behind her.
    Rafael moved out of the small kitchen space and stood leaning against the tiny strip of counter by the stove, drinking his coffee as he watched her gather the things she needed.
    "You're very organized." He chuckled.
    "I have to be, the space doesn't allow for clutter." Katherine stated, pulling a step ladder from between the fridge and the wall so she could reach the upper cabinets where she kept her toaster.
    "Most people just leave that on the counter." Rafael teased, watching her climb down with it under her arm.
    "I have about three square feet of counter space. I'm not taking some of it up with a toaster."
    "But the coffee maker gets a pass?"
    "The coffee maker gets used everyday." She smirked.
    "I knew I liked something about you." He chuckled.
    "Do you prefer your eggs scrambled or fried? Katherine asked, smiling at his previous comment.
    "Which ever is easier."
    "That's a non answer, but considering I break the yolk half the time I'll do scrambled."
    "Can I help?"
    "By standing out of the way? Yes." She smiled.
    "Do you cook breakfast for all your overnight guest?" Rafael teased. He knew based on the night before that it had been a while since she slept next to someone... possibly since her ex husband but that he couldn't know for sure.
    Katherine paused briefly before getting the bacon started. The last time she cooked for someone was the night she ended up cowering in the study. Scott hadn't complained about the food. Their fight had been about her sitting on the couch after they ate instead of immediately cleaning the kitchen... or at least that's how it started.
"Are you going to just leave the kitchen like that?" Scott grumbled as he flipped through the stations looking for something to watch. "No. I just want to sit for a bit, I'll clean it in a minute." Katherine replied, scrolling through work emails on her phone, deleting the non important ones, while adding her summer professional development dates to her calendar. "Don't you sit all day..." He muttered, just loud enough that he knew she heard him. Katherine's whole body tensed. She knew a fight was coming just from his demeanor and it really wouldn't matter what she did. Still, in an effort to avoid the inevitable, she got up, resisted sighing out loud, and started cleaning the few remaining dishes. Over the years of living with Scott she had started, or he had trained her... she never really knew which... to clean as she cooked. While things baked in the oven or steamed on the stove she cleaned the cutting board, bowls, and anything else she had used to prepare the food with. This had left two baking sheets, the pot she had steamed the veggies in, and the plates they had eaten off left to clean. Once finished with the dishes, she sprayed and wiped down the counter. Scott joined her in the kitchen once she was done and started scanning the counter for a spot she missed. Katherine refrained from rolling her eyes, at least until his back was to her, and went back to her chair without saying anything. She knew he'd find something, make a big huff about it, and then clean the counter a second time. "Can you not even clean correctly?" She heard him grumble as he got the spray back out.
    "I didn't mean to insinuate..." Rafael said softly, pulling her from the memory.
    "I know you were teasing." Katherine smiled, moving on to the eggs.
    "Still, it seemed to bother you."
    "Not what you said. The last time I cooked for someone popped into my head... it wasn't exactly a pleasant memory." She said, shrugging it off.
    Rafael watched her tend to the bacon and eggs before turning to toast some bread, humming as she rinsed the bowl she had scrambled the eggs in and meticulously wipe any crumbs from the counter. She seemed to be back to the cheerful woman from moments before so he didn't push for more information.
    Katherine plated the food, handing both plates to him to take to her table by the window while she moved all the dishes to the sink.
    "Do you always clean as you go?" Rafael smirked when she finally sat down.
    "It's habit now." Katherine said dismissively.
    "What touristy thing are you planning on doing today?" He asked changing the subject.
    "The Statue of Liberty." She grinned, "maybe Ellis Island as well."
    "Are you going to take pictures?" He smiled, noticing a camera sitting on one of the shelves.
    "It wouldn't be very touristy if I didn't." Katherine chuckled.
    "I kind of wish I didn't have to work today."
    Rafael's eyes locked with hers, his fingers partially covering the smile that tugged at his lips.
    "Have you been?"
    Her voice cracked as she tried to ignore the lump in her throat, managing to maintain eye contact.
    "When I was a kid on a field trip."
    "You grew up in New York?"
    "In the Bronx."
    "Do you drive?" She asked, not being able to stop the slightly random question, "I mean did you learn to drive as a teen?" In the last year that she had lived in New York without a car, the thought kept popping into her head, wondering if sixteen years olds had the same learning to drive experience here as they did in cities with less efficient public transportation and better parking.
    "What would be the point? You can get anywhere you want using public transportation." Rafael shrugged.
    "So you can't drive or you don't?" Katherine questioned looking entirely too excited to hear his answer.
    "Eat your breakfast." He smirked.
    Katherine smiled and took a bite of her eggs, finding it much easier to maintain eye contact with him when he looked amused.