BWWM | Oneshots & Short Stories

Lesson Learned - IX

Sorry it's been a minute, I just got kinda discouraged. In any case, I hope you all enjoy the read, please leave your comments! I love to read them. Thank you 🤍

It had been a while since Chris had slept past six a.m, and today, he'd slept well past that. He couldn't believe it was nearing 11:30 in the morning but it was Saturday so he felt less guilty.

Chris rolled over and was face to face with Ryleigh who was still in a deep slumber. Chris placed a gentle kiss to her forehead, then rolled over to get out of the bed. He really had nothing on his agenda for the day other than spending time with her.

After freshening up in the bathroom, Chris headed for the kitchen to make himself some coffee. He wasn't much of a cook so he did what he did best, ordered food for pickup at a local restaurant called Bread and Butter.

The server said he could head there in ten minutes to pick up his order, so he went to change into a pair of jeans and a sweater.

Of course when Chris got there, that wasn't the case.

"Give us just a few minutes to finish that up for you, sir." The server said and turned to head back to the kitchen once he arrived. Chris waited leisurely near the order counter with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"I don't know honey, I just think she needs some time." Ryan said to his wife as he stood behind the gentleman at the counter. He was starving and patiently awaiting his turn to place an order. "Ryleigh's just like you, stubborn and strong willed."

Upon hearing Ryleigh's name, Chris turned around. The gentleman behind him gave him a courteous smile and a head nod. Chris knew hearing her name and the fact that Ryleigh looked like a perfect mixture of the two people standing behind him was not just a coincidence.

"She could at least reply to my message, we can discuss this like adults over breakfast. She just shuts down when she doesn't get her way. Excuse me, have you ordered?" Ryleigh's mother asked a little more pensively than she meant to.

"Yeah, yeah...sorry." Chris stepped to the side so they could place their order when the server came back with his food.

"You can't force her to talk to you like this, with everything all tense, it's going to drive you two further apart."

"And you're no help when you don't have any input, when you don't back me up."

"It's not about backing you up, it's about hearing both sides and doing what's right. She's our only child, do you really want to push her away?"

"She's moved across the country on her own so that's no fault of mine." Andrea crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance.

"Have you thought about speaking to our pastor? Giving this to God to handle? Because this is not our family."

Andrea ignored her husband's suggestion and continued speaking, "You enable her."

Chris was now certain they were speaking about Ryleigh. He ran his fingers across his beard and prayed the server would hurry up.

"Now that I take offense to." Ryan responded.

"Of course you would, and who is this Chris? Who is this guy she's so quick to run to instead of facing her problems head on? I'd imagine she barely knows him."

As if she couldn't have picked a worse time, the waitress came back with his order. "An order for Chris!"

Chris gingerly raised his hand to grab her attention as she looked everywhere but in front of her.

She set the bag on the counter and read the receipt. "I have an order of blueberry waffles, two eggs scrambled easy with spinach and salsa, an Egg's Benedict with spicy hollandaise an order of bacon, extra crispy and hash-browns?"