Frozen Yogurt
She was exhausted. Ever since she got her new job in Bloomingdale, their relationship was going downhill and they both realized that. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate their relationship or him, it was just something she had to do. She had an urge to prove to herself, to her family, to her friends, and mostly to him that she was capable of being an independent woman. She had to prove to him that she too, could have a job to be proud of. She wanted people to see that she wasn't the same Rachel Green, a spoiled daddy's little girl like she used to be. Moreover, she wanted this job so badly. This was the job that she really liked to do. It was her passion.
Why couldn't he see that? He, out of all people should've known how it felt like to have a job that they have passion about. He was one of them, for God's sake. She wanted to have what he had. She wanted to be like him, to be able to brag about their job in front of their friends. After all it was one of many things she loved about him. She loved how he was so passionate about his job. It inspired her. Why couldn't he realize that?
She was aware that today was their first anniversary, it was a memorable day for her too. But she had to work late, she had to prove to her boss that she was the right person for the job, that she deserved this job. She knew she was asking a lot from him lately, she knew they were getting distant, but in her defense she was trying to build her career up.
Why couldn't he support her? Why did he have to stop at her work and almost burn her entire office when she clearly had told him not to come? Why did he never listen to her? Was it too much to ask?
The answer was simple. He was afraid. He was feeling insecure.
For him, she was a dream come true. He had spent his teenager's life dreaming and drooling over her. Now that he had a real chance with her, he would do everything in his power not to let her go. So, when he felt like she was slipping away from him, he had to do something about it.
Sadly, for her, what he was doing was too much to tolerate. She had enough.
"You had no right to coming down to my office, Ross. You do not bring a picnic basket to somebody's work." She said exasperatedly. "Unless maybe they were a park ranger." She added sarcastically.
"Well, excuse me for wanting to be with my girlfriend on our anniversary. Boy, what an ass am i." He replied in the same sarcastic manner.
"But I told you i didn't have the time."
"You never have the time." He countered. "I mean I don't feel like I even have a girlfriend anymore, Rachel."
"Ross, what do you want from me? You want me- You want me to quit my job? So you can feel like you have a girlfriend?"
"No. But it would be nice if you'd realize that it's just a job."
That was it. He couldn't even understand how important this job was for her and it angered her.
"Just.. A Job?" She asked, feeling the anger building up inside her.
"Yes." He stood on his ground.
"Ross, do you realize that I'm doing something for the first time in my life. I'm doing something that I actually care about?" She asked. "This is the first time in my life that I'm doing something that I'm actually good at." She added exasperatedly, hoping that he would understand her. "I mean, if you don't get that-"
He cut her off, "No. Hey, I get that. I get that big time and I'm happy for you. But I'm tired of having a relationship with your answering machine, okay? I don't know what to do anymore."
Now, he was trying to make her see things from his side.
"Well, neither do I."
There was a brief pause until he had to ask one question that drove her over the edge.
"Is this about Mark?"
She was left speechless for a few moments.
There was this guy, named Mark, her ex coworker, the same guy who managed to get her this job. Ross was insanely jealous of him that eventually led to a fight just a couple weeks before. She had tried to convince him that she had no interest in Mark or whatsoever. Mark was just a coworker and she wasn't lying about that. She had Ross, who was probably the best boyfriend she had ever had. Why would she want to throw that away?
She scoffed, having a hard time to believe that he brought Mark into their fight once again.
Did he not trust her?
"Huh. Oh my God."
"Okay, it's not."
Only then he realized his mistake by mentioning Mark. It was too late. She was mad.
"Oh my God." She repeated exasperatedly. "I cannot having the same fight over and over again, Ross. No. You-you're making this too hard."
"Oh, I'm. I'm making this too hard? Okay. What do you want me to do?"
"I don't know. I don't know." She groaned, frustrated.
She was frustrated and she was tired. No matter what she explained to him, it looked like he wouldn't listen. His insecurity had taken a toll on their relationship and she was tired of his insane jealousy. Maybe they needed a time apart from each other. Their relationship was intense from the very beginning. The whole thing was getting overwhelming. They needed to slow down. And on her mind, there was only one thing to do. Taking a break. Not a break up, but more like a time off from each other. They needed it. She needed it.
"Look, maybe we should just take a break." She suggested.
The moment those words slipped out from her mouth, she was having a second thought on her suggestion. Was it the right thing to do?
"Okay. Okay. Fine. You're right." He started. "Let's, uh. Let's take a break. Let's cool off, okay." He started to grab his coat and went toward the door.
Seeing him leaving made her regret her decision more. Was she ready to spend time away from him? Was it a good decision? What if they made things worse than it already was by calling up a break?
This past year undoubtedly was the happiest year she had spent for her entire life. She wasn't sure if she was ready to risk that. All that for a job?
Before she could make up her mind, he preceded her.
"Let's get a frozen yogurt or something."
Her decision at this point might affect the future of their relationship. Did they really need this break up? Or could they just talk through it?
Her mind was jumbling for the right answer.
"You coming?" He asked from the doorway.
One look from him enough for her to make a decision. A decision she knew deep down in her heart was the right one.
"Rach?" He asked once more.
She smiled a little, "I'm coming."
With that, the couple left the building to a frozen yogurt place located a couple blocks away.
...
The walk toward the yogurt place was filled in silence. Neither of them speak a word. It was a particularly chilly night, he didn't know why he suggested grabbing a cup of frozen yogurt, but they went for it anyway.
He noticed her shivering a little. His anger slowly melted down. Her petite figure made him want to protect her at all cost.
"You okay?" He asked, concerned.
She let out a smile. It amazed her sometimes how he would still care for her even during a fight.
"I'm okay."
He nodded, looking away from her.
They stopped in front of the yogurt shop.
"Uhm, do you want to get something else?" He asked. "I mean it's quite chilly tonight. Should we get a cup of hot choco or something?"
She shook her head and smiled, "It's alright. I'm craving for a frozen yogurt anyway."
He smiled back before opening the door for her, "If you say so."
"Thanks." She thanked him as they walked inside the store.
"What toppings do you want?"
She pondered for a minute, whilst looking through the glass display in front of her. He couldn't help but smiled as he saw her choosing a topping thoroughly. It was one of many moments that he couldn't believe that she was his girlfriend. Nothing was worth losing her in the process. They needed to fix this. They had to. He couldn't lose her.
"What?" She asked, noticing him staring at her.
He chuckled nervously, "Nothing. You just look so cute."
She blushed.
"Can I take your order, Sir?"
"I'll take a small cup of the original flavor with strawberries and some blueberries, please." He averted his attention back to his girlfriend and asked, "What do you want?"
"Uhm.." she pondered for a couple seconds. "I'll take the strawberry flavor with some sprinkles and kiwis."
He raised his eyebrows, "Kiwi, huh?" He started. "I'm allergic. You know that, right?"
"Your point?" She added nonchalantly, trying to tease him.
He groaned and whined like a kid, "Then I can't taste yours." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We always switch. It's our thing."
She giggled at his childlike behavior.
"Rach.." He gave her the best puppy eyes he could pull off, knowing that she couldn't resist it.
She bit her lips, defeated. "Fine." She started. "I'm sorry about that." She smiled apologetically at the young girl serving them the yogurt. "I'll take the strawberry flavor with some sprinkles and some cherries. Thank you."
"Alright, that will be eight dollars."
He handed the cashier his money. "It's on me."
She smiled, "Thanks."
...
The couple strolled around the Central Park whilst finishing their frozen yogurts.
"Wanna switch?" He asked hopefully.
She let out a small chuckle and nodded, "Okay."
After walking for a while, they sat at one of the benches near the fountain.
"Can we talk now?" She proposed as she put aside her yogurt.
He nodded and put the empty cup aside, "Okay."
They stayed quiet for a little while, not knowing what or where to start the conversation. The last thing they wanted was to have another heated argument.
"I think I owe you an apology." He started after a few moments.
She looked up to find his face and smiled a little.
Her warm smile urged him to continue, "You were right. I shouldn't bother you at work. I, out of all people should've known how much your work means to you." He sighed. "I'm sorry." He murmured.
She took his hands into her and rested them on her knee. "Ross." She looked directly into his eyes. "This is something I have to do. You have to understand that." She paused. "But, it didn't mean that my work is more important than you. Because of course it is not and it will never be."
His face lit up at her words, "Yeah?"
She smiled and nodded, "Yeah. What we have, Ross..." She paused, trying to find words to describe their amazing relationship.
"Shh.." He squeezed her hands. "I know."
"I just need to do this, you know." He nodded.
"It's just.." He started. "It's just, lately, I've barely seen you. You never answer my call. You were working late for these past two weeks. I just missed you, you know?"
She nodded and smiled faintly at him. It wasn't just him. She had missed him a lot too lately.
"I know." She paused. "It's just, things at work have been chaotic lately and I have to show Joanna that I deserve this job. Because frankly if it wasn't for Mark maybe I would never land this job."
"That's not true." He quickly said. She looked at him in silence, allowing him to continue. "You, Rach. You are more capable than you give yourself credit for." He paused, letting his words sink in. "You're an amazing and talented woman. You're great at your job and I'm so, so proud of you because of it." He finished with a heartfelt smile.
Her eyes were misty from the words he said. "Thank you." She murmured.
He sighed, "If it isn't too much to ask, I just want you to at least give me a quick call once in a while and maybe some time off during the weekend so that we can spend some quality time together."
"No. It is not too much to ask." She started and smiled. "I'll try to do that."
"Yeah?" He asked excitedly.
She giggled, "Yep."
"Thank you." He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips which caused her to smile.
"And Ross, about Mark.." She sighed. "I can assure you he means nothing to me, okay? You don't have to worry about him. Can you trust me?"
He looked away from her, staring at the fountain. "I trust you, Rach. It's not you. It's just-"
"It's just what, Ross?" She cut him off and folded her arms in front of her chest.
He looked back at her mesmerizing deep blue eyes, "The look on his eyes, Rach, when he saw you." He rubbed his temples, feeling angry already. He hated that guy. "I know that look. It was the same look I had before we're dating."
She raised her eyebrows. Was it just another of his irrational jealousy or was he telling the truth?
He sighed as he realized she wasn't buying it yet. "What I'm saying is that he's interested in you. I can see it in his eyes. He wants you."
"No. It doesn't matter." She stated firmly. "You have to understand, I will never trade what we have for anything. Not for my job. Not for Mark. Hell. Not even for a million dollar, Ross!"
He raised his eyebrows, "A million dollar? Really?"
She let out a small smile and slapped his stomach lightly, "That's not my point."
He giggled for a while.
"I love you. Okay?" He nodded. "And nothing will ever change that."
"I know that. And I love you too." He started. "Maybe it was because I love you so much it scared me sometimes. I'm afraid to lose you, because when I lost Carol it hurt and I don't even know if I can handle losing you, Rach. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you."
She squeezed his hands, "And you will never ever have to. Okay?"
"Okay." They smiled. "Well at least this time I don't have to worry about you kissing another woman." He giggled but she bit her lips and stayed silent which didn't go unnoticed by him.
"What?" He stopped laughing and asked, a little concerned by the sudden change of her demeanor.
"Well, I don't know if it counts. But I did kiss a woman once."
He was left dumbfounded and chuckled nervously, hoping that she was just joking around with him. "What?" He asked again.
She sighed, "It was nothing really. Her name was Melisa, she was my sorority sister and one night we got drunk and we kissed."
His mouth was left agape, still speechless.
She bit her lips nervously. "You're not mad, aren't you? Because I swear it didn't even mean anything. We're drunk, young, and stupid."
He blinked a few times, trying to process the brand new information he had just received.
"Okay." He said softly. "Are you sure you aren't interested in girls? Because if you do, please say it now and save me from another embarrassment." He said half-jokingly.
Instead of answering him, she leaned in and gave him a deep and passionate kiss. They pulled over after an amazing few seconds.
"Did that answer your question?" She asked.
He grinned, "You know.." He started softly. "I'm afraid I'm going to need more proof, if you know what I mean." He gave her a seductive look.
She chuckled and shook her head, "You're helpless."
He smiled, took her right hand, and kissed it.
"Anyway.." She gently stroked his hands. "Thanks for being patient with me. And I'm sorry for ruining our anniversary night. I promise you, we will do something for the anniversary, soon." She said.
"It's okay." He smiled. "You are worth the wait, Rach. And I mean, not only for today."
She smiled widely and slapped his chest playfully, "Hey! You stole my line!"
He shrugged and soon they burst into laughter together.
"Let's go get home, it's getting late." He said as he offered his hand for her.
She gladly took it and they cuddled on their way back to her apartment.
"Hey, honey?" She said softly after a while.
He looked down at her, "Yeah?"
"Can you stay with me, tonight?"
He grinned, "I'd love to." He then gave her forehead a kiss.
"Great." She smiled, feeling content.
She rested her head back into his chest.
That moment she knew everything was going to be okay.
...
Rachel was awoken by a sudden kiss on her lips. She opened her eyes slowly and found her three and a half years old daughter sitting next to her.
"Good morning, mommy." The little girl grinned.
Rachel put on a big smile on her face as she stroked Emma's blonde hair gently, "Good morning, baby girl."
"Hey.. My two favorite girls are up." A voice brought her attention to the doorway.
"Daddy!" The little girl squealed. "Mommy is finally awake!"
Rachel let out a chuckle, "What time is it?" She asked as she rubbed her eyes.
"Twelve." Ross replied. "This little miss over here has been waiting for you to wake up."
"Really?" Rachel asked and then tickled the little girl who was still sitting next to her.
"Mommy! Stop it!" Emma squealed and giggled uncontrollably.
Ross shook his head, smiled, and joined them in their bed.
"Where do you want to go today, Ems?" Rachel asked after a while.
"Uhm.." Emma pondered for a few seconds before answering, "Frozen Yogurt!"
Rachel and Ross shared an amused look. Lately the little girl seemed to get hooked at a certain yogurt place a couple blocks away from their apartment. They would go there at least once a week.
"Again?" Ross asked and the little girl nodded and grinned.
"Mm-hmm.. I want the chocolate one with lots of sprinkle on it." Emma excitedly said.
"Okay , go get ready then. Mommy and daddy will be out in a minute." Rachel said.
Emma quickly hopped off the bed, "Mm-kkay."
"Good morning." Ross smiled and planted a soft kiss on her lips.
She reciprocated his smile. "Good morning." She murmured and pulled him into a hug.
She pulled out and took his hands into her. "You know, I just had a lovely dream." She started as she played with his hands.
"Yeah?" He asked. "Was I on it?" He asked, hopeful.
"Mm-hmm." She replied with a smile, remembering the dream.
"What is it about?" He asked as he gently tucked away a strand of her hair.
"About us." She started. "Do you remember that day we fought when I suggested for us to 'take a break'?"
He raised his eyebrows. It had been a while since they had talked about this delicate topic. In fact, the last time they talked about this probably was the night she got off the plane, when they talked until dawn about their past and their future. Both of them didn't hold a grudge against it anymore, but it didn't mean it was a pleasant topic to discuss.
"Of course." He nodded. "Though the whole 'we were on a break' part is still debatable." He joked which earned him a death glare from his wife.
"I'm kidding." He quickly added and kissed her cheeks. "You're saying?"
She sighed, "What I'm trying to say is.." She started. "In my dream we went to 'cool off' for a cup of frozen yogurt as you suggested instead of taking a break."
"Okay." He said softly.
Part of him was remembering that dreadful night and cringed in response. No matter how many years had passed since that night, he could still remember that night vividly. It was the night when he made the biggest mistake of his life. The night when he had hurt her so badly.
"Have you ever wondered what would happen if we never take a break?" She asked after a few seconds of silence.
He shrugged, "I guess no one will ever know." He paused. "But, sweetie.. It was all in the past. Look at where we are now." She smiled as they intertwined their fingers. "We're married, we have our little daughter, and another little one on the way." He said as he gently rubbed his wife's small bump.
She shed happy tears and giggled as she placed her hand at his that rested on her stomach. "I know." She said softly.
"We can't change the past, Rach. But we can always build our future, together." He said sweetly.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." She looked at his hazel eyes lovingly. "I love you.." She said softly.
He smiled, "I love you too.." He said before leaning in and their lips brushed against each other softly.
"Mommy! Daddy! Hurry up!" Emma's screaming broke their intimate moment off.
They broke their kiss and laughed.
"Duty call." Ross said.
She stood up and smiled, "Let's go get a frozen yogurt."
"Let's." He smiled back.
THE END.