Calm Morning

Tony checked the time. It was almost daybreak. He walked back to Marcella's house to check on her. She was still laying as he left her earlier. He checked her temperature. She didn't have a fever.

That's better.

He went to the kitchen. He looked at the phone. On the wall, he saw a patch of dirt where she leaned her forehead. It must have happened a lot of times for a mark to be left.

All she wanted was to talk to her sister but she was left distressed thanks to THAT woman.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. His hands fisted to balls and the nerves popped out. When he opened his eyes, calmness had returned to his face. Relaxing his hands, he checked out her little freezer.

His lips curved seeing the green vegetables and chicken in there. She had not changed. She loved green vegetables more than potatoes and carrots. Her mother used to force her to eat other vegetables and more meat.

But she did what she wanted to do. She knew how to manipulate her father to get what she wanted.

He cooked porridge and some eggs for her. He cleaned the kitchen and left it as it was before. She didn't have a dining table in her house and he placed the food on the small counter and covered it.

He looked around her house one more time. She didn't have much stuff but it looked like she spends a lot of time at home. There were a lot of books and magazines. She had cozied up the windowsill that looked over the road into a reading nook for her.

There were none of the luxuries she grew up with. Her father bought the best of everything and she used to live in a house with more than ten bedrooms. Her room was bigger than this entire apartment.

It looked like she was happy here. Or maybe it was his feeling. With a smile, he rubbed his chest.

Even the smell inside this house is so mesmerizing. It's because she lives here, isn't it?

He didn't want to leave. If left to his devices, he would live here as a speck of dust floating around the house for the rest of his life. If he was lucky, he'd die happily the moment, he touches her lips.

But sadly, he cannot turn himself to dust. He didn't want to be found lingering in her house. She won't appreciate it.

Just as he walked to the door, he heard the door to the bedroom opening.

"Tony, you're still here," Marcella walked out.

Tony's heart skipped a beat. He has been caught by her! He relaxed seeing the smile on her face.

"I was about to leave," he cleared his throat.

"What's this nice smell? No way! Tony, did you cook?" she walked to the kitchen.

It has been a while, almost a decade since someone cooked for her. Her father used to cook for them in the past. After she left home, she's been cooking for herself.

"It's late," Marcella felt guilty. He stayed up the whole night and took care of her. It was a weekday and he will have to go to work in a few hours. He hadn't taken rest because of her.

"Get here," she brought him to the couch. "Eat something and sleep here at least for a couple of hours…"

She ran to the kitchen and plated him the porridge.

"You didn't have to do that. How are you feeling? You should sleep more," Tony said and stood up.

Marcella waved her hand. "I'm fine. That simple wound is not enough to bring me down. I insist," she gestured for him to sit.

Tony was a little hesitant. But he sat down. The eggs were already peeled, and she broke them and took out the yolk.

He hates egg whites.

She placed the whites in her plate.

She loves egg whites!

Tony smiled seeing the yolks. "You remembered. I thought you forgot me. You even remembered my name wrong."

Marcella bit the insides of her cheeks as her heart skipped a beat. She smiled and walked to the kitchen. She didn't want to answer him.

She brought a serving for her. She wondered if her heart might burst out if she sat beside him on the small couch. She sat on the windowsill.

"I even thought you were mad at me after what happened at the prom," Tony said.

Marcella wanted to sigh. He is not letting it go.

"You thought I purposefully called you by the wrong name because you didn't kiss me at prom?" she asked.

It drained her to don a carefree expression. But what other choice does she have? She cannot show her pettiness to him.

"Did you?" Tony raised his brows.

"What? No!" she stuffed a big spoonful of porridge into her mouth.

He won't talk to her if her mouth was full, right?

Wrong!

Her mouth burned as the porridge was too hot.