Jules
When I got home from the hospital, I went straight to bed. It was easier than thinking about the hospital or my late boyfriend.
Sometime later, a light knock sounded at the door, causing me to stir. Slowly, I opened my eyes. The bright red numbers on my digital clock read 1:07 am. The knock happened again. “Olly.” I sat up and threw the covers off.
It’s weird, I don’t know what I was thinking going to the hospital. I had somehow managed to avoid the building after Eric died.
It had felt like my home the last few months of his life. It was hard to let that memory go.
When Olly told me about his mom, I wanted to be there for him. Right as the main doors slid open, I knew I had made the wrong decision. I wasn’t ready yet. The thought frustrated me. At some point, I would need to have the ability to walk through the hospital doors and not experience a damn panic attack.
I swung the door open to find Olly leaning his shoulder against the wood frame. He looked gorgeous even in his exhausted state. “Hi.” He smiled and straightened. “I’m sorry if I woke you.”
“No, it’s okay.” I stepped back to let him inside.
“I almost called but…” He sighed.
“You told me you would stop by.” I reached for his hand and tugged him toward the coach to sit down. “How is your mom doing?”
“Good, she didn’t break her hip.” He waited until I sat down and then sat closer to me. “They did find a small fracture, but the healing process will be much easier.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.” I rested my hand on his thigh. Something happened. The simple touch caused my body to stir. I pulled my hand away and laced my fingers together. “Will she be able to go home tomorrow?”
“In just a few short hours, since it’s technically already the morning.” He placed his hand over mine. “I should let you go back to bed.”
“No.” I paused for a beat. Did I really say no? Before I allowed myself to say another word, I thought about how I felt. Would I regret saying no, and instead, asking him to stay?
“Jules.” He turned his head to the side. “What is it?” He squeezed my hands.
I took in a deep breath and then slowly let it out. In that moment, I realized regret was furthest from my mind. “Stay.” I made sure to look him right in the eyes when I said the word.
He stood and reached out his hands to me.
I snuggled my body against him, and we slowly walked together to my bedroom.
***
The next morning (more like, a few hours later)…
Why was I suddenly making bacon in my dream?
Wait, now I can smell the bacon.
My eyes opened to the morning light hidden by the curtain.
Bacon. I could still smell it. It wasn’t only in my dream.
Olly poked his head around the door. “You’re awake.” He smiled and stepped into the room, holding what looked like a sheet pan with a steaming plate of food at its center. “Perfect timing.” He sat down beside me and leaned in to kiss me. “Good morning.”
I reached up and touched the side of his face. “Good morning.” I kissed him again. “I could’ve helped you make breakfast.”
“What’s the fun in that? It’s more fun to surprise you.” He set the sheet tray on my lap. “I didn’t know if you had a tray, so I found the next best thing.”
“Works perfectly.” I placed my hands on the metal surface. “It was nice waking up from a dream and realizing the bacon aroma was real.”
“Do you normally eat breakfast?” He moved onto the bed to sit closer to me. “I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it before.”
“Sometimes.” I reached for a piece of bacon, took a bite, and handed it to him. “If I’m too busy in the morning, coffee is enough.”
“Oh, yeah, coffee.” He sounded surprised, shoved the rest of the bacon in his mouth, and then slid off the bed. “I’ve got that, too.”
I watched him practically run out of the room. When I was alone again, I sat there staring at the plate of food he had prepared for me.
Regret was still not entering my mind. No, in its place, I felt happiness. The way Olly made me feel, I missed it.
“Here you go.” He stepped into the room holding two steaming mugs of coffee. “Sugar and milk, right?”
“Exactly.” I reached out my hand to take the mug. “You only like milk, right?”
“That’s correct.” He set his mug on the nightstand and slid back on the bed beside me. “Jules.”
I took a tiny sip of my coffee because it was still too hot to drink. “Yeah.”
“You okay?” He bumped his shoulder against mine.
I knew why he was asking.
“Yup, I’m more than okay.” I pushed the fork down into the eggs and brought it to his mouth. “Warning, though, a girl could get used to this.” I pointed to the plate he had prepared.
“I’ll happily make breakfast for you every day.” He winked and reached for another piece of bacon.
Did I want him to make breakfast for me every day?
I glanced over and watched him chew the bacon.
Yeah, I did. This, right here, was exactly what I wanted.
AUTHOR NOTE:
Awwww, after they both experienced heartbreak, it’s wonderful to see them together and so happy. Before he heads over to the hospital to check on his mom, should he drive her to work? That will make Stacy at the market super chatty. She’ll want all the juicy details, LOL.