In Her Sleep

Let Her Choose

His morning coffee has never tasted better with the view in front of him.

Caleb watches on as the argument goes on between his two nieces while Layla gets caught in the middle of it. They fought to sit on either side of her at the breakfast table and no one could argue with that even though he sulked a bit for being made to sit so far away from her. His eyes have been on her all this time enjoying her interaction with the girls. The view looks a lot like what he would want in his future.

"She's perfect."

Janice whispers in his ears as she places her phone in front of him and walks over to the sink. His eyes fall on the phone and he smiles. Its a photo of him kissing Layla's cheek back in his bedroom. Its a perfect shot that has captured their intimate moment perfectly and he feels some summer saults going on in his stomach with every second he stares at it. She looks perfect with her eyes closed and a hint of a smile on her very pink lips. He traces them on the phone's screen before looking up at the real thing.

Their eyes meet right when he decides to look at her and they both smile unaware that a pair of eyes is watching their exchange. The soft glimmer in her eyes arouses a happy feeling in his heart. He never thought it was possible to feel so much for one single person. All he wants is to get lost in those eyes that for the first time since he met her look somehow content. She looks away when one of the girls tugs on her sleeve and he goes back to the picture he was looking at earlier. And before Janice comes back to retrieve her phone he transfers the pic to his own phone. Without thinking twice he makes it his screen saver. He takes a sip of his coffee as a smile breaks out on his lips. Life just got better for him.

"May I now say I told you so?"
Janice is standing next to him with arms folded as she also looks over at Layla and her girls playing.

"No you may not." Caleb replies as he turns to his friend that has become like a sister to him. The grin on her face makes him roll his eyes at her. She is behaving as if she is the happiest of them all to have Layla come into their lives. Ever since Janice found out about her she hasn't been able to stop. She actually called the moment Darren told her when he got to their home. She was screaming so much over the phone he thought he would end up deaf. And when she said they would be here first thing in the morning he couldn't say no either.

"The girls lover her."
Janice whisper yells as she tugs him on his arm in excitement making him chuckle. Next she grabs his face by his cheeks and forces him to look at her.

"I love her."
Her eyes are full of excitement making him laugh.

"I can see that but if you continue like this you might just scare her and she'll end up running away from me." He smirks as he points to the awkward position she has placed them in.

"Oh yeah."

She quickly let's him go and grabs her phone instead.

"Give me that."

"As you wish, nothing I need on there anyway." He continues sipping his coffee feigning innocence and
Janice just rolls her eyes knowing very well that he already got the pic.

"So housemates eh?" Janice wiggles her eyebrows at him and he chuckles.

"You can't help yourself now can you?"

"You can't blame me. We don't usually have our housemates in our bed now do we?"

"Look who's talking." He smirks and her mouth just drops when she finds herself with nothing to say. The truth is she and Darren were housemates too until they were not.

"Hey..."

Layla's soft voice makes them turn around to face her. She is standing in front of him alone with a shy smile. The girls seem to have disappeared and he is glad. At least he can be with her finally.

"Thank you for the lovely breakfast." She is facing Janice with a grateful look.

"Oh don't mention it. Am just glad you enjoyed it. What's the purpose of cooking if no one will enjoy hmmm?"

"I sure did thank you."
Layla's smile makes his heart skip a beat even when it's not directed at him.

"Now I hear there is an important discussion to be had so me and the girls will just go and uh....do girl things yes. "

"Hey that was said to you in confidence." Caleb protests. She had actually forced him to spit all the details about him and Layla and made him promise to make her his one way or the other.

"Oops sorry."

Even with her hand on her mouth Caleb knows she is not sorry at all.

"I hope all your answers to whatever he has to say or ask are yes. Well... maybe not all of them but then again..."

"Off you go." Caleb pushes Janice out of the kitchen before she embarrasses them. Her mouth is able to spew out what he calls gabbage sometimes and while he is used to it he doesn't want her saying any of that in front of Layla yet.
He takes a deep breath once she is gone and he walks back to the kitchen. Layla is sitting comfortably on one of the chairs and her figure makes him smile. He can't get enough of her being here and he might be ahead of himself when he pictures the many days he will enjoy having her around. He stops by the kitchen door and leans on it. His eyes are still on the beautiful woman in front of him. She looks peaceful as she draws some invisible patterns on the kitchen counter. As as if she can sense him she turns towards the door with a smile on her face.

"Sorry about that. She can be a handful at times." He walks over to her and sits opposite her.

"I like her....She is different." Layla smiles when she says that and it makes him happy. He was afraid she and Janice might not like each other and that would have made things a little complicated for him. They are both important to him even though he knows who he would choose if it came down to it. And right now he is glad he doesn't have to.

"Different is good." His eyes find hers yet again and he hopes she gets what he is trying to say.
"And not to push you or anything but...have you given my offer any thought?" He finds her hands and holds on to them while he waits for an answer. He looks calm on the outside but on the inside his heart is racing at not knowing what her answer will be. And when he sees her hesitate his grip on her hands become a little tight making her look up at him.

"I have but I..I don't know."
She is stumbling all over her words and he moves closer to her.

"What don't you know?" He looks from her hands to her face and she tries to escape his gaze but he quickly cups her cheek. Now is not the time for her to look away. He wants to see her, to know what is in her heart.

"Tell me please." His eyes are glued to hers as he waits for her answer.

"Am just not sure if am doing the right thing here. I mean look at me."

"What if you are meant to be here?" He cuts her off.

"Caleb..."

"Please hear me out Layla."
He is about to pour his heart out but he holds himself when he sees the terrified look in her eyes. He figures that might have her running the other way. He understands her hesitation and why she might be terrified but he can't let her go either.
He takes a deep breath to calm himself down. For a moment he forgot that it's not just about him but about her too so he decides not to pressure her into doing anything. While he wants this very much he doesn't want to be the next Simon in her life that doesn't let her choose. He might not like it but he knows its the right thing to do.

"Ok."

"What?" She looks a bit confused.

"It's ok if you don't want to or if you want to take your time."
There is a tight feeling in his heart but it's up to her now, all he can do is just wait.