BITTERSWEET

CHAPTER 61 / THEIR SECOND ANNIVERSARY

Nana woke up the following day to not find Zane sleeping beside her. She rose to panic until she found a pink post-it note waiting on her phone. The meif~wa chuckled to herself and picked up her phone to read the message.

Happy second anniversary, Nana. I love you. <3

Nana smiled to herself and placed down her device. Had it already been two years since they had their first date at the carnival back in Starlight? Their first courting as Zane liked to call it, had felt so long ago. 

Was it August? She couldn't comprehend that they'd been on the island for almost two months. Knowing everything that had happened over the past eight weeks made it feel worth it. She hadn't realised how much she missed her and Zane's bed and the welcoming feeling of their home. 

Nana missed the breathtaking sweet smells of the bakery each time she came in the mornings. She missed the maid cafe, the street they all call home, her sakura orchard that blissfully awakened in the late winter and the renewing perception when Zane cooked dinner the nights he was home. 

Nana sat up against the headboard, propped up against the pillows and ran a hand through her pink curls. She figured Zane would be preparing something special, whether she liked it or not, as he'd first done on their first anniversary as a couple last year. 

A year before, it'd been mere weeks since they had returned from Starlight. Nana could remember Zane still calling her Four and how much it frustrated him that he couldn't say her name. He hated it. Words had been something he'd known to express ever since he was little, and now, he wasn't even able to say his girlfriend's names, not even his brothers' names. 

In his mind, over and over again he tried, yet, it never worked. For months, his studies were put on hold and Katelyn had suggested a therapist to help organise his thoughts. Well, he wasn't the only one to who she'd recommended them. 

The therapist only made everything worse, almost admitting that he had problems. After every session he'd head back to Nana's, go to her room, even when she wasn't there and roll up against her pillows.

Whenever Nana found him, she'd let him talk to her and they'd fall asleep holding each other's warmth between them. Although Zane had replaced Nana's name with a number and was suffering from terrible mental health, he hadn't forgotten one of the most important dates on their calendar. Including their first anniversary as a couple. Even if he delayed it by a couple of weeks. 

Zane hadn't felt comfortable around crowds of people after the incident, so, Zane set up a dinner for them in the shed behind his shared house with Garroth and Laurance. 

Zane refurnished the place from top to bottom, gave it a thorough cleaning and finished it off with simple, yet elegant furniture. A two-seat dining set, a mini refrigerator and fairy lights above them emit a warm, friendly glow to the room. 

Nana loved it when Zane surprised her with it and they sat down to a dinner of fried chicken, gravy, winter vegetables and mashed potatoes. Zane mentioned to her that Laurance had cooked them the meal, yet, Nana laughed in response, and said that she had to be sure to thank him. 

Zane added that 'Eight' had only cooked for him and Nana so he could use the shed as a place for his use. Nana shrugged and figured that was somewhat fair. 

By the time dessert came around, Zane revealed a mouth-watering treat that he'd made himself. A large slice of a fudgy brownie, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a handful of M&Ms and a musk stick stuck inside. During that time, (and in between the occasional sip of champagne) Nana asked Zane to try out one of those exercises his therapist had him rehearse. 

Zane sighed but did it hoping it would help. 

My name is Zane Ro'Meave. I am twenty-eight years old, I have two brothers. I was stuck at Starlight with my friends during the ultima lockdown earlier this summer. I'm dating one of my best friends, I live on Lovers Lane in Phoenix Drop. I like My Little Horsies, sweets and cupcakes; especially the ones made by my girlfriend, Nana-

During his recital, he and Nana froze and Zane repeated her name out loud. They laughed, they cheered, they hugged and celebrated. From then on, Zane relearned everyone's names, although sometimes he got frustrated whenever he couldn't figure it out. 

In the passing months, Zane had improved so much and Nana couldn't imagine how different her life would've been if she hadn't gotten with Zane. What if she and Zane hadn't run from Kim, they never would have ended up in a corridor where Nana made the first move. They wouldn't have kissed nor would they have begun dating. 

Nana wouldn't have been where she is today if it weren't for the haunted house and Ghost's freakish obsession with Zane. They wouldn't be engaged, they wouldn't have Twilight, heck, they wouldn't even be on the island spending the summer of 2022 together. 

Her thoughts and reminiscing resided when she heard their bedroom door open, to reveal Twilight and Zane, who was holding a breakfast tray and the small pup was racing at his heels. 

"Happy anniversary!" Zane said as Nana smiled and patted down the sheets.

"Zane, you shouldn't have," She cooed.

Zane placed down the tray and kissed Nana. "But, I wanted to. And, I have plans for us tonight."

Nana raised her eyebrows and breathed in the beautiful waft of the home-cooked breakfast laid out in front of her. "Where are we going?" She asked.

"That's a surprise."

"It can't be more of a surprise that what's already happened. You've already proposed, we've adopted a pup, what else?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Eat your crepes, strawberries, and banana slices and drink your latte. We'll meet at the riverbank around half past four, dress casual, okay?"

"So, I stick to my usual clothes?"

"Yeah, pretty much. And don't nag the others, they don't know where we're going either," Zane said with a wink. 

Nana smirked and popped a sugared strawberry into her mouth. "Okay, happy anniversary, surprise that only Zane knows, four thirty, riverbank and don't annoy the others. I've got it."

"Perfect, I'll see you soon, okay?"

"All right, thank you." Zane caressed her cheek with a grin and walked out of the room leaving Nana with Twilight who ate bits of her banana that was handed to her. 

Following Zane's instructions, she finished her breakfast, took a shower, changed into her clothes and dolled up her hair pinning it up with braids and her white rose pin. She changed her usual pair of flats to white and blue sneakers and added her denim floral jacket. 

From lunchtime until late afternoon she hung out with her friends, they gossiped about each other, as usual. At a quarter past four, Nana headed out and took the long way to the riverbank where she remembered Becca had set them up to sort things out. 

Even if it was almost a month ago, she couldn't imagine it any differently. Zane found Nana and grabbed her attention by extending his arm to offer her a dance. Nana accepted, feeling glad she'd worn the sneakers and they had a quick, slow dance before linking their arms and beginning to walk towards Zane's surprise. 

this would be one way to finish the book, but there's still more of their story to be told until this book is completed. i know this is a zane~chan book, but come on, it's vacation, it's the holidays, and they deserve to have some fun.