With Valentine's Day here, many couples across New York City were celebrating the holiday in several different ways. Not wanting to spend any money but eager to escape campus however possible, Lexi and Isaac decided to stroll through Central Park. Despite having lived here off and on for as long as she had been, Lexi had yet to trek there. This fact had piqued Isaac's interest when they were busy discussing what to do just days ago.
"You've never been to Central Park?" he'd asked.
"Nope."
"How come?"
Lexi had shrugged nonchalantly. "Never had the chance."
"That's gonna change," Isaac had remarked, "'cause I'm taking you there."
So they planned to meet a couple of days after Valentine's Day, as it happened to fall on a school day. While this wouldn't normally be an issue, they each had important assignments they each needed to focus on at the time. That's why they postponed their date until the following Sunday.
Unfortunately for the couple, the weather had turned fairly cold by the time they met up. Small snowflakes fell from the sky to land anywhere they could. Lexi's long locks were already accumulating snow despite wearing a black knit hat and the hood of her winter jacket. Having forgotten a pair of gloves, she resorted to stuffing her hands in her pockets to keep them from freezing.
Lexi couldn't help but marvel at the early morning sky above them while they walked through Central Park. The sun was slowly peeking up to softly brighten the sky. The falling snow didn't bother her too much, as she was too busy staring at the horizon ahead.
"Enjoying the view?"
The remark made Lexi blink hard, snapping her out of her thoughts. She studied Isaac's gaze before allowing her eyes to look him up and down.
"Sure, but...I prefer this view more."
Isaac's cheeks— which were already fairly red due to the cold— were now redder for an entirely different reason. He chuckled before threading his hand through Lexi's.
"Is that so?"
Lexi nodded.
Despite chuckling lightly, Isaac planted a quick kiss on his girlfriend's forehead. Lexi didn't flinch, choosing instead to smile without saying a word. Her eyes closed upon feeling the gesture, but they opened once his lips left her skin. She couldn't help but lock eyes with him.
"You alright?" Isaac asked.
"Mmm...I'm good, babe. This park looks really pretty."
"It is, isn't it? I love coming here. I don't do it often enough."
"I'd be happy to come here more often if you wish."
Isaac's grin widened. "Really?"
Lexi nodded vigorously. "I wish I could experience New York City more, to be honest. It's my second year at NYU, yet I haven't explored it as much as I'd like. I wanna be a typical New Yorker...whatever the hell that even means. Then again, school tends to get in the way more than I care to admit."
Those remarks weighed on Isaac's mind. Lexi noticed because she cleared her throat and laughed softly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad," she insisted.
"Don't apologize," Isaac said. "I'm just thinking of how I can make such a feat possible."
"Please don't lose sleep over it. It's not worth it, babe."
"Can I at least try?"
Lexi sighed with a small smirk etched on her face. "Sure."
"Good," Isaac concluded before punctuating his sentence with another kiss on her exposed forehead.
Once again, the gesture left Lexi's heart racing in her chest. She didn't try to calm down; she allowed the butterflies to fill her stomach. This made her suddenly giggle— the whole situation was nice, even if it was a little ridiculous.
Isaac noticed her small laugh with a newfound bemused expression. "What's so funny?"
"I'm not laughing at you, babe. It's just...I feel so...happy? Yeah, happy. I haven't felt this good in so long. No matter what else is going on in my life, I know that I have at least one small source of happiness. God, I sound like I've gone completely insane."
Lexi's cheeks were quite red just as she concluded her tangent. The cold may have played a part in it, but she knew that her embarrassment only contributed to her flushed face.
It was Isaac's turn to laugh a little. He placed a hand on her cheek, noting just how warm it was compared to his cold hand. Lexi shivered slightly at the contact but didn't fight it whatsoever. She managed to keep a smile on her face as she looked into his dark brown eyes.
"I don't think you sound insane."
"You don't?"
"No," Isaac confirmed while shaking his head. "I'm extremely happy, and I want to keep you as happy as possible, too. If that means showing you every damn tourist spot in New York City, I'll do it!"
"You don't need to go that far," Lexi laughed.
"I don't care. If it'll make you happy, I'll friggin' do it."
"Well...thank you, Isaac. You're very sweet. Happy Valentine's Day, babe."
"Happy Valentine's Day."
Isaac's other hand went to her face before he pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Both their eyes closed while the kiss deepened ever so slightly. They eventually broke apart and exchanged loving gazes.
"Thank you for showing me around here," Lexi said.
"You're welcome, babe," Isaac replied. "I think we should go inside for a little while."
Lexi nodded "More like a long while, please."
"That's fine with me," Isaac chuckled. "How about we walk to The Bean's Knees and grab some hot chocolate or something?"
"That's a great idea."
As they began to walk to their favourite spot, they resumed holding hands once again. Even though they were both fairly cold, they took their time walking to The Bean's Knees. It also didn't help that traffic was consistently heavy. The snowy weather made it worse, but neither of them complained. They made small talk about school, their friends, and even Lexi's life in California. It made the walk bearable and even a little fun.
Half an hour later, the couple had arrived at The Bean's Knees. The bad weather left the independent coffee shop sparse for a change. Only one other patron sat inside near the front of the building. A few baristas milled about and the bar or the register, trying to look busy despite how dead it was.
"We came in at a great time," Lexi remarked.
"Tell me about it," Isaac said with an amused smirk. "Do you wanna find a good seat while I get you something?"
"Oh...sure. I don't mind paying for myself, you know."
"I know, but I wanna do this."
Sensing that she wasn't going to convince him otherwise, Lexi relented with an amused smirk of her own. "Okay, you win. I'll have a medium-sized hot chocolate, please. I'll see you shortly. Thanks, Isaac."
"Hey, you deserve it, babe."
Lexi rolled her eyes with a laugh before the pair separated. The lack of customers inside allowed her to pick most any seat she wanted. She quickly selected a small dark brown couch situated in front of an electronic fireplace. The fire was clearly fake, but it still felt super cozy. Lexi tried to sit close to it in a feeble attempt to defrost. She removed her jacket and settled into the soft couch cushion while smiling softly.
"Miss Cole?"
Lexi glanced up with a larger smirk. "Yes, Mr. Ambros?"
"Here's your hot chocolate."
"Thank you," Lexi laughed.
Isaac couldn't help but join in. "No problem, babe."
The pair settled in and began enjoying their sweet beverages.
"I really enjoyed seeing Central Park," Lexi revealed. "It looks nice in the winter."
"Believe me, it looks better in the summer," Isaac confessed.
"I bet! I wish I could see it, but I'll be back home in California by then."
Isaac's smile disappeared in an instant as his eyes darted down.
"Don't feel bad for me," Lexi insisted with a calm gaze. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel guilty. I swear I'm not upset about it."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm certain."
"Well...okay," Isaac said. He seemed unsure but decided against asking again. He looked back at Lexi, whose blue-green eyes were bright with joy. He couldn't help but smile in response.
"I know we only have until the end of April before the semester ends," Lexi said, "but I'm not dwelling on it. I just want to try and enjoy the time we have together right now. That's why I'm trying to spend more time with my friends, and with you."
Isaac mused her explanation for a moment or so. "That's a great way to look at things."
Lexi placed her hand on his leg in a gentle manner. Isaac seemed surprised by the gesture, but he wasn't about to stop her. Instead, he placed his hand on top of hers. They remained in this position for over a minute, all without saying anything. Words didn't seem necessary at that moment, and they were both content with that.
"Oh, by the way...my mom called me the other day," Isaac admitted.
This revelation made Lexi feel small in an instant. She retracted her hand and clasped her hot chocolate. She took an apprehensive sip before finally responding.
"Did my name come up?"
"Only for a moment," Isaac answered. "She asked if I was still dating you, and I said yes. I won't lie— she didn't sound thrilled by my answer. But you didn't come up again after that. She didn't insult you or make any rude remark about us dating."
"That's...good," Lexi replied with a nervous laugh. "Sorry, I don't know what else to say."
"It's okay," Isaac said. "It was kinda awkward, but I tried not to think about it."
Just like me trying hard to not think about that disastrous meeting, Lexi thought with a somber expression. But she tried to perk up quickly as to not worry her boyfriend. If he noticed, he didn't mention it.
"Let's change the subject," Isaac abruptly suggested.
Lexi nodded. "Sure. That's fine with me, baby." She punctuated her words by planting a kiss on his cheek with a wide smile.
"I like the sound of that," Isaac said.
***
The next day happened to be Lexi's birthday. She had just one class that day, and it was late in the afternoon. Still, she decided against using her birthday as an excuse to slack off. She slept in a little, but then later worked on her novel over her morning coffee in bed. Well, she tried— but that quickly proved to be a next to impossible task.
Lexi exhaled a huff before closing her laptop and placing it near the foot of her bed. She put her nearly empty mug on her nightstand before running her hand through her messy blonde hair. Isaac's remarks about his mother sounding irritated by them dating had rubbed her the wrong way. It lingered in both her mind and her heart, causing both to ache ever so slightly.
I wish things weren't like this, she thought as her eyes wandered around her room. She had no desire to leave it; but then again, there was no point in doing so. It's not like she could vent to her roommate about the situation— Nikita was in class and wouldn't be back until that evening. She didn't even consider bringing up her feelings to Isaac.
That's a terrible idea— whining to Isaac about his parents, Lexi thought with minor amusement. She thought about talking to Felipe or DeShawn but dismissed both suggestions quickly. Felipe would be in class at the same time as Nikita since they shared the same major, and she wasn't close enough to DeShawn that she wanted to talk to him about this.
Lexi grabbed her phone and stared at it for over a minute. She had decided who to call but wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. Yet a part of her knew that she needed to clear her head of all the unpleasant thoughts she'd been fighting with. She made the call while shutting her eyes tight. They opened once she heard someone pick up.
"Hello, sweetie."
"Hi, Mom. I'm sorry to call you so suddenly...I know you're busy."
"Actually, it's been quieter than usual," her mother said. "Wait, hold on for a moment."
Lexi heard her set the phone down, followed by the faint sound of a door closing.
"Sorry, I don't want my colleagues eavesdropping on my conversations," her mother added with a laugh. "Are you okay, dear?"
"Uh...no. No, I'm not okay," Lexi reluctantly admitted.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Nothing earthshattering— school's good, work's good, and my friends are good. Oh, and Isaac and I are still great. But his parents are...well..."
Sensing that she was about to crack, Lexi trailed off with an exasperated sigh. She grabbed a fistful of hair as she closed her eyes again to collect herself.
"They don't like you," her mother concluded.
"Yeah," Lexi replied. Her brief laugh was empty. "You figured that out pretty quick, huh?"
"I'm sorry to hear that, honey. Did they explain why, at least?"
"They don't think I'm serious, or that I'm good enough for Isaac. They also think he's rushing into a new relationship. Also, they don't love my major or career aspirations. And please, please don't say, 'I told you so,' or something to that effect. I'm sorry, but I really don't wanna hear it right now, Mom."
By this point, a few tears had trickled down Lexi's cheeks. She let go of her hair so she could quickly wipe them away. She tried to keep herself calm by steadying her breath, but a small sob managed to croak out before she could stop it.
Great, she thought, now Mom knows I'm crying. That's fucking fantastic.
"Lexi, are you still here?"
Lexi returned back to Earth at a moment's notice. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, I didn't—"
"No, don't apologize," her mother interrupted. "And I would never say, 'I told you so,' or anything like that. Just because I have my concerns about your major or career doesn't mean I'd ever belittle you— especially when you're upset. I honestly didn't think such a thing would even happen."
"Well, it did," Lexi snapped.
"I see," her mother commented absently.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have been snippy. I'm not mad at you, I swear. I'm just mad about the whole situation, that's all."
"I understand, sweetie," her mother said. "I can't comment on whether Isaac's rushing into a relationship or not 'cause I don't know the full story, and I also haven't met the guy."
"That's fine."
"As for you not being serious," her mother continued, "I think that's just because of your major and career choice. But I don't think it's fair for them to think that because they don't really know you. I'm only good at judging someone based on first impressions because it's part of my job in being a lawyer. But for them to do that to you is a bit short-sighted on their part."
"I wish they didn't think so poorly of me," Lexi remarked.
"I know, dear. How did Isaac take it?" her mother asked.
"He wasn't thrilled about their reaction, but I could tell he was trying to keep them happy. But we're still together and doing well." Lexi suddenly grinned "He took me to Central Park yesterday so we could explore it. I've never been there, so it was really cool! After doing that, we grabbed some hot chocolate at a coffee shop and warmed up there. I had a great time, and I'm sure Isaac did as well."
"Now that's what I want to hear," her mother said. "Just don't blame him for what his parents think of you, okay?"
"I would never do that," Lexi replied.
"Good. Oh shoot, I have to go now. Happy birthday, sweetie. I love you, and I miss you."
"Thank you! I love and miss you too. Have a good day!"
"You too. Bye-bye."
Lexi hung up a second later with a full-on smile on her face.
Perhaps things will change for the better, she thought with some newfound optimism.