Clicks and Colors #Wattys2017

Chapter 24 (End)

"Can you please turn a bit to the right?" The little boy did as asked and I clicked before calling for the next kid in line. I was assigned to a group this week who were going around to schools and taking school pictures. At the moment we were at an elementary school and I was with a line of 3rd graders who giggled and pushed at each other as the line progressed.

I smiled behind my camera when I remembered that I would be meeting Evan for lunch in just about half an hour. We had started a routine of having lunch together every day (of course sometimes it broke because of meetings and whatnot) but we had been going strong this week. It was summer once again and our 2 year anniversary was tomorrow and I still hadn't decided a gift.

I packed up my gear and pulled on my jacket, plugging earphones in so I could listen to music as I walked to the restaurant where we had decided on meeting. It was a small place, served sandwiches and pasta, garlic bread and had free refills. I had been there many times with my friends and it was just a place to hang out more than a fine dining vibe which was definitely not what we were going for.

Evan's attire contradicted my thoughts however when I saw him sitting at a corner table in a call. He was dressed in a dark blue suit with the top few buttons unbuttoned, it seemed he had also just arrived since he hadn't removed his suit jacket, probably busy with his conversation.

I sat down across from him, browsing the menu as I waited for his phone call to be done. Evan seemed to be getting upset with whoever was on the phone, raising his voice and lowering it as he remembered his surroundings. After a few more minutes of controlled angry retorts he ended the call and turned to me with fingers massaging his temples.

"They give me headaches every time I call them." He smiled apologetically at me and I returned it, taking his free hand as a silent question.

"My parents. They're asking if Hannah can stay at my apartment cause they're going to Australia to resign a contract and they also have to visit China for some reason. I mean I have no problem with having Hannah over it's just that they treat her like some...I don't know they're always doing this and it pisses me off." He squeezed my hand and ordered for himself when the waiter came by and I followed with my order.

"Why don't you just let Hannah move in with you? It'd be a lot easier since you won't be going to too many places." I suggested, untangling my fingers from his to check why my phone had beeped. An email from Emma about the wedding in New York that I was just assigned with Riley.

"I asked her last year I think, but she said she liked being alone at home. I didn't want to push it cause she's pretty sensitive about our parents, Natalie's the only person that can really comfort her when she-- um anyway yeah. How was your day?" I pushed down my curiosity on why he abruptly cut off his sentence, instead ranting to him about how some of the kids were just the most uncooperative children I had ever met.
***
Shit.

That was my first thought when I sat up in bed the next morning. It was our anniversary and I had nothing planned or even a gift to give him. I stumbled out of bed, kicking at the sheets that tangled around my legs and tried to keep me from being a good girlfriend and soulmate.

The fact that I should get Evan a present had floated in and out of my head for the past week but I never had time to go out and actually search for a worthwhile object that he would like and treasure. I was disgustingly bad at buying things for people.

I thought about the things he was interested in as I rushed around my room, trying to look presentable. We had vaguely talked about what we'd do together today but my mind blanked when I tried to remember what the discussion entailed. Maybe a watch? No he already had millions of those. I slipped into the ballet flats I had kicked off yesterday, cursing when I couldn't find my phone and earphones.