Yours Truly

24. Cookies

Lips as soft as cotton candy.

It was barely there, a slight touch of something soft on the base of his throat, but he felt it. Rowan forced his eyes open so he could be face to face with the beauty he knew was waiting for him, to see the warm brown eyes that he could melt in. Yet, he was only met with blonde curls in his face as Sera leaned her head back on his chest, drawing shapes on the spot close to his heart and unaware that he was awake now.

He forced himself to freeze and not do anything to give away that he was awake. The moment felt extremely intimate and private, and he wanted to clutch it in his hands, memorize in his heart forever.

Sera breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled, letting it all out in one big sigh. Her hand halted its movements on his chest for a moment, making him think she knew he was awake but he was proven wrong when she suddenly moved her palm to settle exactly on his heart.

"Rowan." She called, the whisper stroking his heart and sending butterflies flying through his veins. He wanted her to keep saying his name so he would never have to part from this feeling. He closed his eyes, relishing in the moment.

"Rowan?" Her hand subconsciously went down his arms and back to where they were on his chest in gentle touches. Is this what it felt like to wake up in her arms?

If this is how she was going to wake him up everyday, he could marry her right now.

"I'm awake, baby." His voice was hoarse, and he could tell it startled her a little.

Sera turned her head so her chin could rest on his chest and her eyes would meet his, a big fat smile stretched across her face, her cheeks popping out from how hard she was smiling. He knew she smiled like this when she was shy.

"Hi." She whispered.

"Hi." It would've been a crime not to return the smile when you're met with this face.

"I'm sorry you must've been uncomfortable sleeping like this." Her smile faded a little and it felt like something was slipping away from him that he needed to catch fast.

"It was the best sleep I've ever gotten."

If she wasn't shy before, she definitely was now. Sera let out a cute giggle but immediately hid her face in his chest, unable to hold eye contact.

"I need to go the bathroom. Do you want breakfast after?" She asked, hope evident in her voice that he'll stay. When her eyes met his again, he felt his knees go weak a little.

"I could make it for you." He suggested, his hand removing a strand of hair from her face.

"No, you're at my house." She argued.

"Okay, baby." His hand ached to cup her cheek but he suddenly felt afraid and drew it back. As she got up and untangled herself from him, he wondered if whatever spell was casted upon them yesterday would wear off now.

Rowan stretched his arms and legs out, getting up to move a little after staying in one position so long. Her apartment looked different in the day light, warmer and cozier. He could notice the things he didn't last night, like the multiple flower vases of all shapes and sizes scattered around different places of the living room. She had one small bookshelf, half of it filled with books and the other half with little cute decorations and trinkets as if she didn't own enough books to fill all of it, a string of fairy lights thrown messily around it.

The big couch was an L shape, a dark shade of grey with off-white pillows, a black blanket thrown on the right side of it. It was so cozy and so much like her, even the smell was warm with a hint of feminine perfume. Rowan was suddenly brought back to a very specific moment in time, one where he was with his brother in their grandmother's house, the smell of freshly baked cookies filling the space, the vase of flowers on her dining table she always put freshly picked flowers in every, floral cutlery and mint green tea. His grandmother's veiny and frail hands, her gold ring she never took off from her ring finger. How softly they would play with his hair.

The moment was cut off by Sera's voice from inside, breaking his train of thought. He couldn't hear her but he also couldn't shake himself from the memory he seemed to forget about in the archives of his mind.

"Rowan?" Her little figure walked towards him slowly, the cute smile still on her face.

"I asked if you have something particular you're craving?" Her big eyes were looking up at him, it felt weird being here, right now, at this moment. He felt like he was lost in his own memories, torn up between now and then, his mind hazy.

"No, no," He breathed, "Anything is fine."

"Okay, the bathroom is right there if you wanna go." She went to the kitchen to start and he thought of going to help her after going to the bathroom.

"Maybe we can go get cookies as a little dessert after?" Her voice called out just as he began moving towards the bathroom, "I woke up craving something sweet." She turned back to look at him sheepishly from across the kitchen, but Rowan felt frozen in his spot as he looked back at her, mouth agape.

Images fluttered through his head quickly, unable to keep up with them as if someone had hit shuffle on his mind gallery. Veiny hands, gold ring, cookies, brown wood, floral...

His brows furrowed as he thought about the weird connection, how odd the way of the universe was. His grandma's voice was clear as day in his head, almost as if she was right here, speaking to him. Raspy yet so soft, worn out but the dust of time.

"I hope I'll make it to your wedding one day, sweet boy."

"I hope she'll take care of you just as much as I do and better." 

"You don't mind, do you?" Their voices mixed together, until he could no longer determine if he was here or there.

"No, I don't mind."

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I think this is my favorite chapter so far <3