Sweet on You

Chapter 30

Xander's arm was thrown over Lydia's chest when she had awoken that morning. She wanted to savor it, the comfort she felt when she was with him, especially today of all days, but she knew if she didn't get out of bed now, she never would.

Sliding out from under his arm, Lydia walked silently to the closet, finding something to change into. She slipped on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, as she was pulling it down, Xander wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. "Good morning, angel."

Lydia leaned back and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Morning."

Xander, picking up on her tone, scrunched his eyebrows in concern. "What's wrong?"

Lydia broke from his grasp, leaning into her closet to find her shoes. She shook her head while she searched for them. "There's somewhere I need to go today."

Finally, she found her runners, which were under a pile of clothes Lydia was supposed to hang up, but lost all motivation to. Without questioning her any further, Lydia heard Xander get dressed while she tied her shoes.

#

Once a year, because Lydia couldn't bear to go more than that, she would visit her father at the cemetery. Well, it was in the columbarium, seeing as her father refused to be buried. He said becoming something the worms could snack on unsettled him and he'd much prefer to be cremated, even it did run with the risk of not having a body if scientists ever crack bring the dead back to life. Lydia huffed out a breath of amusement, recalling the conversation at only twelve years old.

She approached the area her fathers ashes resided, Xander hung back to give her privacy while she talked to him. Before she started though, she tucked a small photo into the display. Every visit, she would leave one photo, her favorite photo, that was taken that year. He was the kind of parent who captured everything on film. Lydia hated it, but ever since he died, she wished he was still there, pestering her with his camera.

This year, it was a photo she had forced Xander to take with her at the bakery. They'd gotten an order from an actor who was in the city to film their television show. Lydia, despite fulfilling a couple of orders for some pretty notable people, was beside herself with excitement. When she had finished decorating the cake, which Xander helped her bake, she made the two take a picture together to commemorate the moment. Lydia held up a big thumbs up with her free hand and giant grin, Xander, on the other hand, wasn't looking at the camera, or the cake, but Lydia smiling at how excited she was over this cake.

Lydia sat on the seat in front of the display and sighed. "This year has been a real mess, Dad." She fiddled with her sleeve. "Mom died, which, I'm assuming you know already, but she left me the company. I don't know why she would do that. There was no note, no I'm sorry for never being there, no anything. Just a simple demand that I own the company for at least one year. Kelly was pissed and I think she still is, at Mom, that is. She and I have been getting along lately, which I'm glad about, but still, why Mom would leave a company I know nothing about to me is something I'll never understand."

Her eyes lingered on the photo she had placed in the small display case. She smiled ever so slightly. "I guess it was a blessing and a curse because at least out of all of this, I met Xander. Technically, he's my bodyguard, but most of the time, it doesn't really feel like he is. I mean, I'm an owner of a small bakery, my best friend is my cousin and his wife, and I don't know the first thing about danger. It's kind of ridiculous, really. But Kelly insisted it."

"I think you would have liked him. He is horrible in the kitchen, much like you were. But he tries because he knows how much I enjoy it," Lydia sighed. "He is a huge hockey fan. He doesn't even care who is playing, he'll just watch whoever is. But I think what you'd like the most about him, is that he likes to read out loud sometimes. He really enjoys your book collection, by the way, and he'll read until I fall asleep if I'm having a hard time shutting my brain off."

Tears escaped her. "I really wish you were here, dad. Not just because I want you to meet Xander or because I need your comfort, but because I miss you so damn much it hurts."

Lydia felt Xander's hand on her shoulder and he leaned down in front of her, his knees on the floor. He pulled something out of his jacket pocket. He held it up for Lydia to see. "Is it okay if I put this in the display?"

Lydia looked at the photo he held in his hands. It was of her. She was at the gala, arm in arm with Kelly, laughing at the joke her sister had made about something Lydia couldn't remember.  Lydia glanced to Xander. "You took that?"

He nodded his head, wiping the tear that trailed down her cheek. "You looked so beautiful, so happy, and I thought your dad would want to see that."

"Thank you," she whispered through her tears, sliding open the small display so he could put the photo inside. It rested beside the one she had brought too, along with all the others from the past few years of her visits. She looked at the previous photos to Xander. With a trembling hand she took his, holding on to it tightly. "Thank you for everything. For being there me, for handling what happened last week so well, just--" she shook her head. "--everything."

"Hey," Xander said softly, caressing her cheek, forcing her to look him in the eye. "You don't need to thank me. I love you, Lydia and I am always going to be here for you."

Lydia rested her forehead against his, nodding her head through her tears. "I love you too."