THE ENGAGEMENT.

DADDY'S BIRTHDAY...

(HEY LOVES, PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR TAKING LONG TO UPDATE. I WAS HAVING A MASSIVE WRITERS BLOCK BUT SUDDDENLY IT ALL CAME BACK TO ME AND HERE I AM TO BLESS YOUR DAY WITH MORE OF THIS AMAZING STRORY. ENJOY!)

ELEANOR...

Two hours at this mall in town with Bethany and I still could not find what to get my dad for his birthday. How frustrated and panicked I was. Bethany had her birthday present ready. She had purchased it a couple of weeks earlier.

"How mean of you not to remind me to get daddy's gift much earlier" I spoke my mind out loud as I looked at the expensive watches in a Nordstrom store. My dad already possessed many watches, expensive at that. I wanted to get him something he did not already have.

"Are you forgetting you did the same to me last year?" she retaliated.

"So this is payback?"

"Maybe... Let's get something to drink. I am exhausted walking aimlessly to no end,"

I agreed and so we walked to a smoothie café on the opposite side of the road from the mall. The café was colorfully decorated with paintings covering every inch of the walls. A vintage car oil painting of a dancing couple particularly caught my eye. It made me think of myself and my lack of a love life. I was a twenty five year old single lady. I had not been in any serious relationship ever since my first boyfriend broke my heart when I was nineteen. The past relationships were more like flings, they would last only a season and after there was nothing.
I wanted love, but constant disappointment had taught me not to put my faith in it.

"Eleanor!" Bethany shook me out of my thoughts. I found her, the people in line behind us and the barista staring at me, others with shocked expressions and others with disgust.

I turned to face Beth, "Yes," I replied.

"What smoothie will you have?" the barista asked me, I'm guessing for the hundredth time because of the frustrated look plastered on her round face.

"Black Raspberry-Vanilla Smoothie," I responded and with that we were told to take seats anywhere in the café while we waited for our names to be called.

I decided to make use of the outdoor seating area of the café. There were way too many people inside causing noise pollution.

"What happened to you inside?" Beth asked while we took our seats on the aluminum bistro chairs.

"Nothing. Just got lost in my mind for a moment,"

"If you say so," and she laughed.

"Beth, have you thought about dating again?" I asked her.

"Where is this coming from?" She looked up at me then back to scrolling through her phone.

"It's just a question. You're twenty seven going in to your thirties. Haven't you thought about that at least. Do you wish to get married someday and have a family?"

"If I tell you I have not thought about it will you believe me?" She replied showing her lack of interest in the topic of relationships.

"Oh cmon," I implored her to open up to me. I knew Bethany was a very reserved person. She always put others first, listening to them but not letting others listen to her. I guess she hated the vulnerability of it. She looked at me as if thinking whether she should open up before she finally did.

"I know if I don't say something you will nag me all day," and she smiled before continuing to speak. "Well I have often thought about my future. Like what I want it to be like and yes it involves a man and kids but," she stopped talking when the round faced barista brought our drinks to us.