Pistachio and vanilla

In Ami's apartment, Leah sat with Ami, going through some wedding gowns on her phone. Ami just couldn't pick a particular wedding gown. They had been going through different wedding gowns for hours, and so far Ami had picked three already without settling on a particular one.

Leah yawned tiredly. She stood from the couch and went to grab a glass of water for Ami. "I think we should take a break." Leah suggested as she gave the water to Ami.

Ami took the glass of water from Leah and gulped it down thirstily. "You're right," she said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm getting a little overwhelmed with all of these choices."

Leah nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it can be a lot," she said sympathetically. "Why don't we take a break and eat something? We can come back to this later with fresh eyes."

Ami smiled gratefully at Leah's suggestion. "That sounds like a good idea," she and Leah headed to the kitchen.

Ami quickly scanned her fridge and pantry for ingredients they could use to whip up a quick meal, while Leah sat on the kitchen table and waited.

"How about we make some sandwiches?" Ami suggested, pulling out some deli meat, cheese, lettuce, and bread.

"Sounds good to me," Leah replied, watching as Ami assembled the sandwiches.

As they ate, they talked about the wedding and all the preparations that still needed to be done. Ami was feeling stressed, but Leah's calming presence helped to put her at ease.

Leah took a bite of her sandwich and looked up at Ami, who was strolling through her phone as she ate her sandwich.

"So, have you given any more thought to the cake design?" Leah asked, wiping some crumbs off her mouth.

Ami looked up from her phone, a dreamy look in her eyes. "Oh, definitely. I was thinking maybe you could use pistachio and vanilla together for the cake. What do you think about that?" Ami asked after sipping some water from her glass.

"I think that would be an awesome combination." Leah agreed, chewing the sandwich in her mouth. "The nutty flavor of the pistachios would definitely complement the sweetness of the vanilla. It's a cool combination."

Ami smiled. "Great. I want something simple and elegant, but also delicious. I really want everyone to enjoy it."

Leah nodded in agreement. "Of course. And I think we can definitely achieve that. I'll make sure the flavors are balanced and the presentation is beautiful."

"I have complete faith in you. So, what about the frosting? What do you think we should do?" Ami asked.

Leah took another bite of her sandwich, thinking. "Well, I was thinking we could do a vanilla buttercream frosting. That way, we can tie in the flavors of the cake with the frosting."

Ami nodded thoughtfully. "That sounds perfect. And we could decorate it with some fresh flowers to match the wedding colors."

Leah grinned. "I love that idea. It would make it even more special."

Ami clapped her hands excitedly. "Yes! That would be perfect. I can't wait to see how it all turns out."

Leah finished her sandwich and gulped down the water in her glass before standing up. "Well, let's go and browse through more gowns."

Ami grinned and they went back her sitting room.

They spent a few more hours scrolling through endless pages of wedding dresses on Pinterest, their eyes glued to Ami's phone screen as they searched for the perfect gown.

As they clicked through image after image, Leah couldn't help but feel happy. She knew how important this wedding was for her best friend, and she was thrilled to be a part of the process.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of scrolling, Ami paused on a particular image, her eyes lighting up. "These two are my favorites," she said, holding up her phone to show Leah the two dresses she had settled on.

Leah leaned in closer to get a better look. The first dress was a classic strapless gown, with a fitted bodice and a flowing skirt that cascaded down to the floor. The second dress had long sleeves made of delicate, lit fabric, giving it a magical and ethereal quality.

Leah could see why Ami was having such a hard time deciding between the two - they were both stunning in their own way.

"They're both beautiful," Leah said, admiring the dresses with a sense of awe. "Which one are you leaning towards?"

Ami bit her lip, clearly struggling with the decision. "I love the elegance of the first one," she said. "But there's something so enchanting about the second one. I just can't decide!"

Leah smiled, feeling a excited for her friend. "Take your time," she said. "But if you ask me, I think you should go for the strapless one. It will look great on you."

Ami nodded, her eyes still fixed on the two dresses on her phone screen.

It was already twilight when they finally wrapped up their search for the day. Leah got up, ready to go.

"Let me walk you to your car," Ami said as stood up and stretched her limbs before went out. "Do you have anything planned for tomorrow night." Ami asked Leah as they walked towards Leah's car.

"No. I'm free tomorrow night. Is there a problem?" Leah asked, looking at Ami who seemed to be nervously fidgeting with her fingers.

"Well..." Ami hesitated as they walked towards the car. "One of our friend is celebrating her birthday tomorrow night and I was wondering if you could come."

"When you say 'friend,' do you mean Susan?" Leah raised an eyebrow while Ami nodded in agreement. "You know I have some serious issues with her sister," Leah added.

"I know," Ami said, looking apologetic. "But Susan really wants you to come. She has been asking about you and I promised her I would invite you."

Leah took a deep breath and considered her options. She didn't want to miss out on the Susan's birthday celebration because Susan was also a very good friend of hers, but at the same time, she didn't want to deal with Susan's sister and create any silly drama, like she had done at Susan's previous birthday.

"Okay, I'll come," Leah said, finally making a decision. "But on one condition."

Ami looked at her curiously. "What's the condition?"

"That Susan's sister wouldn't be there tomorrow." Leah said firmly.

Ami smiled, nodding in understanding. "Of course. Susan didn't invite her. Thanks, Leah. You're the best."

Leah smiled. "No problem. Just don't make me regret this." She said as she got into her car and started the engine.

The car roared to life, and Leah rolled down the window.

Ami bent down to the side window of the car, a smile still on her face.

"I won't. See you tomorrow then," she said before standing up straight and waving at Leah.

Leah waved back at her and drove off, feeling grateful for the day well spent with Ami.

She arrived home and parked her car, taking a moment to collect her thoughts before going inside her apartment. She turned on the lights and dropped her bag on the couch before heading to the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat.

After satisfying her hunger, Leah went to freshen up. She brushed her teeth before changing into her pajamas.

Leah decided to watch a movie since it was still very early. She went down to the living room and turned on the TV, scrolling through the available options until she found something she was in the mood for.

She turned off the lights when she finally settled on a romantic comedy and snuggled up on the couch with a cozy blanket. As Leah settled in to watch the movie, she quickly found herself getting caught up in the story. She laughed out loud at the funny moments in the movie. Leah just felt happy as she watched the movie. She found herself rooting for the main characters as the movie went on.

As the credits rolled, Leah decided that it was time for her to head to bed. She turned off the TV and made her way back to her bedroom. She crawled into her bed, she picked up her phone and began scrolling through her social media feeds.

She eventually dropped her phone after going through some funny memes and cute photos for a few minutes. She turned off her side lamp and stared at her ceiling, blinking her eyes tiredly despite how early it was.

It was just a few minutes past 8 pm but Leah was already trying to sleep. She had slowly formed a habit of sleeping early during the weekends because she had nothing to do with her evenings these days.

Sometimes Ami would tease her, telling her how boring her life was and that she needed something to spice up her boring life. Ami was always the one constantly trying to take her out of her house during the her free time. Leah smiled as she thought about how much Ami annoys her sometimes and still brightens up her day. She turned to her side and closed her eyes slowly drifting off to sleep.

....

Meanwhile, in the Valdez manor, Lucius sat at the head of the dining table with Alexander, Priscilla, her daughter, and their guests from the council. The room was filled with the clinking of silverware against plates and the occasional sound of sipping from glasses, but otherwise, the atmosphere remained silent.

Jane finally broke the silence by addressing Lucius in a clear voice. "Excuse me, Lucius," she said. "I couldn't help but notice that there seem to be fewer people here than I remember. Where are the rest of the people who live here with you?"

Lucius looked up from his plate, meeting Jane's gaze with a calm expression.

"They went on a little vacation," he replied, his voice collected. "But they will be returning by tomorrow evening."

Jane nodded, seemingly satisfied with Lucius' response, and continued eating her meal. The table turned quiet again, as they continued eating. Everybody seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.