The Art of Knowing [Completed]

11. • relations •

[to all who are smitten with that special someone they can't seem to stop thinking about]

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"You came," Emilia breathe out with sudden disbelief. After the tense encounter she'd had with Cassandra more than a week ago, the possibility of seeing her ever again was undoubtably out of the question. And yet there she was, quietly standing on her porch shortly after calling for an impromptu chat. The brunette stood still as she bit her inner cheek self consciously, eagerly awaiting for the invitation to step inside and apologize for her response to everything.

"I needed to see you." Cassandra made sure to allow the genuine regret to drape over her face when she spoke. Immense embarrassment engulfed her as she recalled her abrupt and curt encounter with Emilia at the diner days ago. Emilia remained tightlipped at that, only to then nod the young artist inside as she held open the door. The house was quite modest as Cassandra entered, simple nicknacks and toys truly made the home specifically Emilia's. They all served as a reminder that she was indeed a mother. The older woman made her way to the decent sized kitchen immediately while insisting that Cassandra should take a seat, which she reluctantly obeyed to. Her cabinets were coated with a soft eggshell hue, although the light blue tile backsplash gave the space some color. Such delicate color schemes reminded her of the diner as well, giving the home a familiar and comfortable environment. Regardless of its inviting surroundings, the young brunette sat sheepishly on the small wooden table as she nervously tugged on the sleeve of her red knitted sweater.

"Coffee?" Cassandra perked up at the question as it brought her out of her trance.

"Yes, thank you." Her lips pressed together as the sudden silence she was trying to avoid made its appearance. "I saw him," she blurted out. The young mother's eyes fixed their gaze towards the artist once she heard that. Cassandra couldn't help but notice a small tug on her lips as she smirked.

"I know. You called me that morning from the airport. Remember?"

Her mouth agape, Cassandra realized she was right. Nevertheless, the simple sighting of Ryan was not nearly enough to create the entire story. After all, she actually talked to him more times than she thought she would have. The subtle embarrassment must've been evident on the artist's face as she sat in silence again, recalling how vehemently she had ignored everything Emilia had told her. It turned out that everything she had tried to ignore or run away from came straight back at her, and it took its form as Ryan Eckhardt. It was bad enough coming back to Emilia's doorstep with her tail between her legs, but now she was mustering the courage to explain how much this specific stranger had truly altered everything she'd ever known. It'd been 3 days since she flew back from New York, and that meant it had been 3 days since officially departing from Ryan and Shay. They both took care of texting her once in a while with the usual "landed safely" message, but knowing the true role they both had in Cassandra's future, she couldn't help want to know them that much more.

"I actually talked to him." Cassandra finally cooed with hesitation. She cursed herself for already feeling the smile forming on her lips.

"Oh?" Emilia's voice wore an obvious teasing tone, as if Cassandra had been confessing a new crush to her dearest mother. She stayed silent as Emilia placed a coffee cup in front of her and watched as the blonde sat across the table. Despite her attempts at suppressing it, Emilia's face softened into a more amused expression, making Cassandra smile wider.