The Hothead and The Ice Queen

Eleven

The next morning, Layla and I got ready quickly before heading down for breakfast. Mrs. Williams made us pancakes paired with an assortment of fruits. Aside from my dad, she made the best pancakes. As we sat at the table, I expressed my gratitude to her for allowing me to sleep over, especially on a school night.

"Don't even worry about it, sweetheart. I'm just glad to have given you a safe place to spend the night," she said. "Besides, those cookies you made are delicious."

In addition to the tray of brownies at the Stronghold house, I had made cookies for Layla and her parents. I felt it was a more personal show of gratitude. And it just so happened that I had a few extra of each that I would give to Warren when I saw him at school– just 'cause.

Mrs. Williams set the colossal tower of pancakes on the table with a pitcher of orange juice and a platter of fruit. She sat down with us, and the three of us excitedly dug in, grabbing two pancakes each and picking our favorite fruits. Mine were strawberries, green grapes, green apple and orange slices. Layla loved any and every fruit on the planet, so she ate what I ate plus pineapple, blueberries, and cantaloupe.

I swallowed the strawberry slice in my mouth and smiled kindly at Mrs. Williams. "You really didn't have to go through all this trouble, Mrs. Williams. Though, I really do appreciate it. It's all so delicious."

"Oh, there you go again, making a fuss. I'm happy to do it!" Layla grasped her mom's hand and smiled, their eyes expressing never-ending love. A sad smile adorned my lips. I would never know what it felt like to have my mother look at me the way Layla's mom looked at her. There was a void in my life that I couldn't fill.

My toxic thoughts chased away my appetite. But I didn't want to raise suspicions, so I forced myself to finish my food. Though the few perplexed glances that Layla sent my way, made me think that my silence was suspicious enough. I knew I wouldn't be able to escape her interrogation once we found ourselves alone. Something to look forward to– cue the sarcasm.

After breakfast, we put our plates in the dishwasher and grabbed our bags. Again, I offered my gratitude, but Mrs. Williams just laughed as she playfully pushed me out of the house. But not before telling me that I was welcome anytime.

When we were alone, predictably, Layla began the interrogation. "You suddenly got quiet at breakfast. Are you okay?"

There was no point in hiding my feelings. Doing that would only succeed in hurting her feelings. Layla was my best friend, and she deserved to know the truth because she genuinely cared about me. I sighed and offered a ghost of a smile. "You and your mom have such a beautiful relationship. Seeing you two together reminded me that I could never have something like that."

"Oh, Cassie." Layla whimpered and crushed me in a hug. My smile widened a bit as I wrapped my arms around her. Her grip tightened as she said, "I'm so sorry."

"Lay..." I rested my hands on her shoulders and held her gaze. "I didn't tell you to make you feel bad. I told you because you're my best friend, who cares and accepts me no matter what. Don't feel bad for loving your mom, and definitely don't feel bad because she loves you. I'm so happy for you, and your mom is an amazing woman. As my best friend, I know you want nothing but happiness for me, and you care about me so much. That's why I told you. And you know what?"

"What?"

I smiled; a genuine happy smile. "I feel so much better. Everything has been put into perspective. I wouldn't change anything about my life because I wouldn't be who I am today. I can't let what could've been hinder me from living my life. And I definitely can't keep trying to understand why things happened the way they did. I deserve to be happy."