Theodore

f i g

Come one, come all! New story alert! Already published the prologue but y'all, that book, we're taking risks. It's the kinda stuff I just don't write but oh well 🫠

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Perhaps she's avoiding me. I don't care if she is, but I've noticed that she is. She didn't ask how my holiday was, she didn't bother to see if I was alive or if I brought her anything. Of course I didn't, but she didn't check.

That doesn't bother me. In fact, despite how suspicious it is, the fact that she has left me alone this entire morning and beginning of afternoon makes me feel like wow, maybe being alive isn't all so bad after all.

I have every right to feel this way, especially in this moment as my legs skip (feels like in slow motion, too) towards him as he grins at me with open arms. The flowing wig of mine jumps in the wind with every downward tramp against the ground, matching the beat of my heart and the one hand covers my mouth to attempt to hide the silly grin on my own face.

It's like a scene out of a movie, because the very next second, just moments before reaching him, I don't know what on this solid ground catches the front of my foot, but I trip and end up flying towards the green ground as life flashes before my eyes. Everything makes sense the second the pain shoots through my arms and knees.

I can hear Theodore laughing and that irritates me. The embarrassment is too great for me to get up as yet, so laying flat on this ground seems like an ideal plan.

"Are you okay? Dia?" He's still laughing? "Come on, get up. People are looking at you."

"Stop laughing, Theodore." I hiss at him as I feel him hook his hands under my arms and cautiously help me to my feet. "I literally could have died. I'm telling you, this life hates me, there's absolutely no ways."

He chuckles again and helps me dust myself. This is when I take him in from head to toe. His hair is partially wet, almost like he wet his hands and tried to move the long strands from his face. His green eyes dart from one place to another to detect anything out of the ordinary as his lips are curled to a firm grin.

He looks nice. This time he's wearing a washed out jean jacket which matches his slim fit jeans. The white top matches his shoes. Hmm, maybe he was really busy this morning so he decided to look extra nice. I haven't seen him in over three weeks. He looks great, actually. Since he's really up close, I sniff him up to inhale the rather relaxing cologne he's wearing.

I can't explain it, but it's real nice.

Theodore's eyes lift to mine and an eyebrow raises in question. "Did you just sniff me? I just heard you sniff me."

"I totally was not sniffing you, Theodore, how crazy can you sound." Dismissively, and with flushed cheeks but thank the heavens for the melanin, I roll my eyes and glance away from him. "You said you set up a picnic?"

"I did, I did. Follow me."

We're in the park. It's quite lovely, very neat and a good handful of people linger around. Understandable; it's a weekday so it won't be busy, but it also gets my surprise to see that people actually hang around the park on weekdays more than weekends.

Theodore leads me to this pretty place close to a very small pond. No animals in sight so that's to my relief. The blanket he set up is really cosy, and a medium sized basket, dark in colour is set in the middle.

He gestures for me to have a seat, and I do after adjusting my knee length dress. Nothing special about this dress. It's one you'd wear to church but decided to wear it today. Also because I hardly go to church so this among other dresses are just relaxing in my wardrobe. I then look at him and grin.