Crumbled

Wedding Cake

Cynthia quickly got rid of the sheets that were covering her, getting ready to get out of bed and to go and search for her husband in each room of the house.

Panic was gradually building up inside her. What if John had left her for good ?

After the rather heated argument they had had on yesterday night... John leaving her wouldn't even be a surprise to her.

« John ! », Cynthia called again, as her feet made contact with the room's carpeted floor when she climbed out of the bed.

« I'm right here, Cyn » John's voice came through the room's door, that had been left slightly opened.

The minute Cynthia recognized John's voice, she felt as if life itself was rushing back in every single part of her stiff body.

John had gone nowhere. He hadn't left her. He was right here.

She refrained herself from letting out a sigh of relief. Tears were also stinging in her eyes, threatening to flow, but she dismissed them in a blink.

« Cyn, are you in there ? », John's voice came again, from the other side of the door.

« Open the door for me, will ya ? My hands are... taken right now »

The last part of John's sentence left Cynthia dubfounded. A frown of surprise appeared on her face.

« What ? », Cynthia asked, loud enough so that John could hear her. « What are you up to, John ? »

« For God's sake Cyn ! Don't ask dumb questions ! Come and open this bloody door instead ! »

A little smile crept onto Cynthia's lips. That was John for you.

Getting upset over small nothings. Impatient, quite temperamental, impulsive, sometimes harsh in his words as well as in his behaviour...

But he was her husband. The love of her life.

« All right, I'm coming ».

Cynthia almost jogged the few metres that were separating her from the door behing which John was standing.

What she faced the minute she opened the door totally took her by surprise. She wasn't prepared to see John like this. With a huge smile upon his face, he seemed to be genuinely happy to see her. No trace of anger, no sign of resentement in regards to the argument they had had in yesterday night.

« Surprise ! », John squealed, almost making her jump.

Cynthia gave him a gentle smile. She was too stunned to be able to say anything.

John's happy expression immediately changed into a frown which made its way to his face.

« Cyn ? What happened ? You're crying »

« What ? », Cynthia managed to utter, frowning in confusion. She didn't let any tear escape from her eyes, did she ?

Brushing her cheeks with her fingers, she realized that yes, her tears had run down them, against her will.

« These are unwanted tears, sorry», she smiled at him, giving him a brighter smile, this time.

« I'm sorry John. I shouldn't have been mad at you on last night. I trust you. I always have and I always will »

John's smile widened upon his slips. « No, I am sorry, love »

« I... God, this is getting heavy ! Please help me with this»

The sudden change that Cynthia saw at that precise moment in John's voice and on his face - distraught was now wriiten all across his face – prompted Cynthia to lower her gaze towards his hands.

« Oh John ! You can't be serious ! ».

Cynthia couldn't believe her own eyes. In all these years of marriage, John had never given her such a pleasant surprise on their wedding day. He wasn't exactly the romantic type of man, you see.

Was this her John ? This man holding in his hands a plate on which a wedding cake was placed?

It seemed unreal. But at the same time, she desperately wanted to believe in the sight that was before her eyes right now. John seemed to be back to his old, normal self.

« I am very serious, baby », John's goofy grin grew even bigger than it already was. He handed her the cake that he was holding in his hands, as gently as if he had handed her a child to hold.

It was a heart –shaped strawberry cake – Cynthia's favourite flavour.

The ganache, of deep pink clour, was generousely covering the base of the cake, which was simply made from butter. Cythia mentally counted the strawberries that were delicately placed on the edge of the cake, outlining its heart-shape. There were eight of them.

At the centre of this beautiful cake, Cynthia noticed more strawberries, placed in such a way that they were forming a rose.

« John... This is beautiful », Cynthia covered her mouth with her hands, in sheer astonishement.

She was so moved that she could barely speak. Tears were making their way to her eyes, yet again.

This felt like a dream.

Every bad moment that they had gone through during the last months were being erased. Cynthia felt her heart being overwhelmed with love for John. Her John. He was back to her. Sober from drugs, calm, seemingly happy to spend this moment with her.

Cyn carefully placed the China plate containing the cake on the bedside table, while John was entering the room. He sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes not leaving his wife the whole time.

« This cake is too beautiful to be eaten ». Cynthia turned her gaze to John and gave him a gentle smile.

« Don't tell me you're not going to eat this cake. Making this cake gave me enough trouble for you not to taste it »

« You made this cake ? »

Cynthia's eyes grew wide with surprise. John couldn't cook for nuts, let alone making a cake.

« Yeah », John nooded in agreement. Why are you so surprised ? »

« You making a cake is a first », Cyntia smiled at her husband, in amazement. « And that too such a beautiful cake. Good job darling »

« Thank you, Miss Powell »

Cynthia's heart skipped a beat the minute John called her by this nickname. It had been so many years since he had last called her so.

« Come here, Cyn », John patted the spot on the bed, next to him.

Cynthia silently went and took a seat next to her husband.

« I was a bastard to you on last night. I'm really sorry love. You know I didn't mean a single thing I told you, right ? »

Memories of the argument they had had on last night came flooding into Cynthia's mind.

It had all started in the most stupid way possible...