CADEN & NINI
CADEN
"Hi, Mom!", I say, as soon as I see her face on the screen. She looks surprised as she sees me and gasps. I take the time to look at her. She's on the couch in our living room at home, probably reading a book since she has her glasses on. Her curly brown hair is up in a bun. Her brown eyes are clearly filled with joy that she's seeing me. I haven't video called her in some time.
"Caden!", she almost screams, and I check if my headphones are still in my ears. They are. That's good. I'm in the supermarket near the dorms, so it's filled with people I know and that recognize me. "Frank!" Mom continues screaming, calling out Dad's name. "Frank! It's Caden. He called me with video."
The next thing I hear are footsteps and in only a few seconds my Dad appears on the screen. He's in his usual shirts, his grey hair also styled just like I remember it.
"Son!", he says, as he sees me. "How are you?"
"Good. Yeah, I'm good", I say, although that's not really true. I'm actually worried since Nini just texted me she caught a cold and that it is really bad. Very worried.
Dad nods then looks a bit at me, probably analyzing. I also sneak a quick glance at my clothes. I am with my hockey hoodie, a pair of sweatpants and some sneakers, my hair still wet from training and my earbuds in my ears. Not exactly the look I would choose to show to my parents, but it will have to do.
"You're looking pale, Caden", Mom says after a while. "Have you eaten lately?"
"Is the training too hard, son?", Dad continues. I let out a sigh.
"I'm fine. I really am. I have eaten enough, and training is great."
"Alright", Mom answers, probably noticing I'm a little bit annoyed. "You know, we just want what's best for you, sweetie. And we miss you a lot."
"I know. I miss you too. But I'll be back home for Christmas."
"We can't wait to see you again, son", Dad replies. Mom continues: "Will Jacob be coming too? Or your girlfriend?"
I have to swallow hard, since Mom still thinks Tessa is my girlfriend.
"No, Jacob is going scuba diving with his parents in Australia", I say. I can see how my parents look surprised for a bit, but I am not anymore. I got used to him telling me about the craziest things he's done in his holidays. "And Tessa and I broke up a few months ago." I say, to clear up the air. I can see how my parents share a look and Mom begins saying:
"I am so sorry, honey. I know how hard that must have been..."
"It hasn't", I cut her short, even though it was a bit rude. I just don't want to start telling her about my messed-up love life right now. And definitely not in a supermarket, counting down the seconds until I can get to Nini to check on her.
"Mom, I've actually called you to ask you about something", I say. Mom nods and looks at Dad, who says: "See you soon, son", and walks out of the room. As she's alone, Mom turns to look back in the screen and asks:
"Anything. What is it, sweetie?"
"How can I make a chicken soup?"
Mom raises an eyebrow, making it clear this wasn't the question she's expected. After some time, she hides the shock away and continues: "Why do you need to make a chicken soup? Are you sick, honey?"
"No, not me. My girlfriend", I answer. It came so naturally out of me, that I didn't even realize what I said until after I said it. Mom's face turns surprised and I have to look around to see if someone was there and might have heard it. Luckily, I was alone. So, Tessa can't find out I said that, and the three months deadline can't begin.
I make a note for myself to keep better watch of what I say in the future.
"Your girlfriend?" Mom asks skeptical.
"No. My girl friend. Two words."
Mom gives me a look that clearly says yeah right and I have to swallow hard. She's read right through me.
"Anyway, I would like to meet your girl friend", she says it extra stressed, to show me she knows I lied. "Will you be bringing her for the holidays?"
"I don't know if she wants to", I say, then see Mom's disappointed face. To make her smile again, I add: "I'll ask her."
Mission succeeded. She smiles now.
"That's my boy", Mom says proud. It makes me chuckle.
"Mom..."
"What? Am I not allowed to be happy that my son found someone he likes?"
"How do know I like her that much?"
"Oh, baby. I've known you your whole life. I'm pretty sure I can understand when you are in love. Especially when you blush just by talking about her."
"I did not blush", I say, yet the warmth I feel in my cheeks right now clearly says otherwise.
"And you're smiling...", Mom continues.
"Anyways, about that chicken soup..." I change the topic. Mom smirks noticing, yet she just goes with it.
"Alright, so what you'll need is..."
NINI
I think I froze for a few minutes the moment I saw Caden in front of our door, carrying many grocery bags and looking at me worried. I am still staring at him, only blinking from time to time.
"Hey", he says, not knowing how to begin.
"Hi", I reply and unluckily have to cough once. Damn illness.
"May I come in?" he asks after a while. I nod and open the door a bit more, so that he has enough space to enter. I also immediately go further away from him, not to give him the cold as well.
I lead him to the living room, where Soph is still staying on the couch, texting with someone. From the smile on her face, I guess I also know with whom.
Caden is the first one to notice her so he says: "Hello, Sofia!" My bestie looks up from her screen and flashes him a polite smile.
"Hey, Caden!", she greets him in return. She then notices the bags Caden is carrying and follows us to the kitchen.
Caden places the bags on our kitchen isle and starts taking out ingredients from them. Chicken, carrots, celery, onions and many other stuff, that are clearly used to make a chicken soup. He then also takes out a pack of tea, pumpkin spice flavoured. I instinctively have to smile.
"You know how to cook a soup?" I ask surprised. Soph just stares confused from me to him, not understanding what is going on.
"For you, Broadway? I learned how to cook a soup", he replies, making my cheeks take the brightest type of red humanity has ever seen.
My bestie notices that she started third-wheeling, so she quickly adds: "You know what? I'll leave you two alone and I'll go study in the library."
I give her a confused look, yet she only smiles and after taking her bag from our room, she makes Darrel a sign to follow her. However, it wasn't even necessary since her bodyguard already was in her shadow.
"Bye, babe! Bye, Caden!", Soph yells from the door. "Have fun!" She adds chuckling, then I can hear a loud bang.
Caden and I share an amused look, then we both start laughing. That isn't good for my state, however. I immediately start coughing again, my throat hurting and my eyes tearing.
"Maybe you should relax", Caden says, pointing to one of the chairs in front of the kitchen isle. I take a sit down and he pours some water in a small pot to make some tea. As soon as it's boiling, he puts a tea bag from the ones he had bought today inside it and I can already smell the pumpkin spice flavour in the air. I have to smile.
Caden takes out one of the cups from the cupboards and pours some tea in it, handing the cup to me then. I thank him and he smiles in return. He then starts working on the vegetables, cutting them in small pieces. I want to help but he quickly says it's not necessary and that I should just sit back and relax. I do as asked.
It's a weird feeling watching Caden cook for me. I mean, it's not that I don't like it. I love it. So much, my heart tells me I could get used to seeing him in the kitchen, cooking meals with me while we're smiling at each other for the rest of my life. And this is exactly what scares me. I'm already thinking too far. We're supposed to take it slow. I'm not even his official girlfriend. Yet everything inside me screams that I love him and that I want to spend my life with him.
I'm messed-up.
Caden must have noticed I'm somewhere far away with my thoughts, since he asks: "What are you thinking of, Broadway?"
"Nothing much", I lie. The truth is, it's everything.
He nods, yet his eyes tell me he clearly hasn't believed me. However, he changes the topic: "So, I talked with my Mom earlier, to ask her about the soup, and I was wondering...what are you doing for Christmas?"
I can see how nervous he is. Yet I am even more nervous now. Christmas isn't one of the topics I really love. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. I really do. But growing up, I've never had the chance to experience a nice one. Back when I was still living with Denise and Sean, the two would spend their entire night at some random bar, leaving me alone at home. I remember waking up in the morning, hoping I'd find presents underneath the tree, but it was empty. Always empty. I gave up hope with the time. Although they didn't ever make it feel like Christmas, I would bake some cookies on the 24th then watch Home Alone on the small laptop in my room. It wasn't much, but it felt festive somehow. Even after they sent me away, the new families didn't want to celebrate Christmas with me. Some would just go travelling somewhere and I would remain at home.
Even so, I really love Christmas. I love this holiday. It's so filled with love and magic, I can hardly imagine anyone hating it. I especially love the Christmases in New York. Last year, I spent Christmas together with Dia and Nessie and it was the best Christmas I have ever had. While Soph and April had to go back home for the holidays, we three remained at the dorm. We baked cookies, watched Christmas movies until 2 in the morning, bought presents for everyone and even went to see the big tree at Rockefeller Center. We went ice skating and shopping and it finally felt like the Christmases I've always wanted. With the family I've found.
"I'll probably stay here in New York", I answer. Caden nods once, then takes a deep breath as if to give himself courage to speak out the next thing:
"Would you like to come to Kansas City with me? We could spend the holidays together and I could show you my hometown. Mom and Dad are already okay with you coming. More than okay, actually. They can't wait to meet you." He stops and takes another deep breath: "But mostly, I would be very happy if you'd come. I can't think of any better way to spend Christmas than with you."
My breath runs out. And I freeze. Did I just hear that correctly? I can't think of any better way to spend Christmas than with you? That was so sweet, it made my cheeks blush again and now I'm sweating.
"You don't have to come, if you don't want to", he says, looking down at the vegetables he is cutting so that he doesn't have to meet my eyes. He's hiding the fact he's nervous. Yet I already got to know him better. And I can see how tense he is or how his fingers are shivering. Instinctively, I bend over the table and lift his chin up with my hand. As soon as our eyes meet, I smile at him.
"There is nothing I'd love more, than spending Christmas with you."
As he hears it, he also smiles and leans closer so that he can kiss me. Unwillingly, I put my hand on his chest and stop him. Caden looks at me confused and partly hurt, and I hate to see him like this. To clear up the situation, I explain:
"I don't want you to catch my cold, too."
He nods understanding, and the pain disappears from his eyes. I sigh relieved.
"Can you promise me something, Broadway?" he asks and I am quick to nod.
"Of course. Anything."
"As soon as you're better again, you owe me a kiss."
"I promise you", I say, feeling how butterflies take control of me again. "But not just one kiss. Thousand kisses."
"Thousand?" he asks me chuckling. "How about a million?"
"No, that's still not enough", I reply. "How about all my kisses?"
He freezes for a moment, then I can see a soft smile on his lips. It's so honest, it makes me not just feel butterflies now, but I can feel how my body is one fire. I want him, I want him next to me, forever. And I want to see this smile, because it looks so right on him and it suits him so well. Happiness suits him. And he is my happiness.
"I'll give you all of mine too", he whispers.
The urge to bend over the table again and kiss his lips is so big, that it physically pains me not to do it. However, I can't have him getting sick as well. So instead, I just draw a heart on his hand with my fingers. And a small infinity sign next to it.
As soon as he recognized what the drawings mean, that smile grows bigger, til all his face expresses is pure happiness. I look at him and smile too. And all I can think of is how in love I am.
I'm in love with him.