Take A Walk (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 5 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Fifty-Two

"Good morning, my darling."

"What's the agenda for today?"

"Wedding planning, obviously," said Phoenix with a sigh, rubbing his eyes. "God, I can't wait to just get it over with."

Phoenix had never explicitly proposed, but one day, while sitting in front of their TV with oversized shirts and without pants, eating pizza off their laps, Ebony glanced over and said, "Wanna get married?" to which he nodded, throwing a piece of garlic bread at her.

"I feel you." Ebony smiled slightly. "I had an idea to be all backwards and zany though."

"Oh?"

"I'll have a black wedding dress, you have a white tux."

"Done."

Ebony sighed slightly, and Phoenix asked, "What? What is it, darling?"

"I'm just... tired. Really tired."

"Why?"

"I dunno. Today is the anniversary of the day Mom..." She sighed again, looking down. "It's nothing."

"You should've told me," said Phoenix, brushing her hair back so that he could see her scar. "How am I meant to know these things unless you tell me, darl?"

"It's fine, I told you it's fine. I'm just... in a bad mood is all."

"Maybe we should go-"

"I said it's fine, Nick," she said in a soft, but firm voice. "I don't want to sit here and think about it."

"Alright. I'll make us breakfast. Do you want bacon?"

"Yeah, and toast."

"Do you want anything else?"

"Do we have hash browns?"

"I think so." Phoenix smiled, kissing her softly. "Have I told you that you're my favourite person?"

"Unfortunately, yeah." Ebony tried for a smile. "Hurry up, make us breakfast, you dork."

Phoenix went to the kitchen, beginning to cook up some hash browns and some bacon, putting some toast in the toaster and sighed softly, looking up. He wondered about Ebony's family often, for she'd never speak of her life before her scar. He loved her so much that he sometimes wished that he could push, push her until she told him everything. But he knew that if he waited, she'd tell him. One day.

"Alright, food's ready!" called Phoenix, and Ebony wandered into the kitchen, sitting down. Their cat, an orange tabby named Furdinand, curled himself around her legs.

"Thanks, darl, I was hungry." Ebony was picking at her food, barely eating at all, until Phoenix sat down with her.

"You've never told me about your mom, love." Phoenix took her hand over the table. "Could we maybe talk about her today? In her memory?"

Ebony bit her lip, looking down. "I dunno."

"What was she like?" asked Phoenix.

"Nick, please, don't." Ebony was quiet, and her voice was slightly shaky. "I don't want to talk about this right now."

He sighed. "Fine. But... I want to know."

"Maybe eventually," she said. She didn't look at him, and he felt bad for pushing, but he knew that if she didn't talk now, she'd break down later on tonight. He knew her far too well. Far, far too well.

He pulled out his phone to play a game, and Ebony sat quietly, poking at her sausages. They didn't say anything else to one another, and Phoenix said, "Eb, where was your mom buried?"