We're going to need more than five minutes

You knew which day it was today, didn't you?

She opened her eyes and instantly felt a bout of nausea rising up in her stomach and tears burning in her eyes – just like every year on this day. She swallowed and focused on her breath, calm and steady. She missed his warm and protective embrace, she missed looking into his eyes, but when she turned around, she found that his side of the bed was empty. Only Lola was there. Her little girl, or not so little anymore, who had been through all this with her for so many years already. The old dog whimpered, then licked her hand and lay down next to her to snuggle for a bit. How well her baby girl knew her and the amount of empathy that dog could feel almost brought her to tears once more.

And then, the smell of freshly made waffles had reached the bedroom upstairs and Lana sat up with a frown. She could not resist the delicious scent though and decided to put on a brave face, threw on an oversized cozy t-shirt and went down to meet him in the kitchen.

„Good morning, babe!", he was almost offensively cheerful, she found, as he greeted her with a little kiss, „How did you sleep?"

„Uhm... alright, I guess? You made waffles?"

„Yeah, I hope you're up for waffles this morning?"

„I'm up for waffles anytime, you should know me better than that by now", she smirked.

While they were eating their breakfast on the patio, she asked, chewing, with her mouth full: „So, what are we doing this weekend? Are we going anywhere?"

„Not really, or at least not far away, I thought we can have a nice day exploring the perks of LA today? I got a few things planned."

„Oh, well that sounds very interesting, I'm curious!"

„You can be!"

This time, he drove her south towards Long Beach, and eventually they were pulling up into the parking lot of the „Aquarium of the Pacific". There it was again, that nauseous feeling and the burning tears, but she still couldn't deny that she was getting excited.

„You're taking me to the aquarium?"

He smiled and nodded. „I thought, since you love marine life? I'm sure you haven't been in a long time. It's not really a place we visit often, as adults."

She swallowed and forced herself to keep smiling. „No, you're right... we don't. When I was a kid... my father often used to take me to the New York Aquarium on Coney Island."

He saw that she was getting emotional and gently squeezed her hand. „Are you okay? You'd rather leave?"

She took a deep breath, then shook her head. „No! I think it's a great idea, actually, and really exciting. Thank you so much, baby!"

She thanked him with a kiss before she got out of the car.

They had an amazing time at the aquarium and he almost managed to make her forget which day it was today. They marveled at the coral reefs, sharks, penguins, seals, sea otters, and of course thousands and thousands of the most diverse kinds of fish, and Jordane did an amazing job at pretending to be interested in her rambling on and on about everything she knew about the respective animals, as in her second, never fulfilled, career she'd still have loved to become a marine biologist.

„What's your favorite animal?", he asked her.

„Oh my God, the seal! I always wanted to be a seal when I was younger!"

He had to laugh. „Seriously? A seal?? Not a princess or something?"

„Nah, that's so boring!"

„And still, you ended up playing a queen?"