Ace of Hearts - All We Are Series [NaNoWriMo 2014] [#JustWriteIt]

Chapter Five [Edited]

I woke up on Sunday morning to hear the birds chirping outside. Normally I would spend Sunday relaxing, but I had a lasagna to make. Margaret’s apartment building was throwing a potluck party, and although I didn’t live there, I always got invited to attend. This one’s theme was Fall Festival. Even though lasagna didn’t quite fit the theme, Margaret told me to make it anyways as everyone enjoyed home-cooked lasagna. It took quite a while to make, though – I make homemade sauces and noodles. I would grow the vegetables if I could, but my apartment doesn’t quite have those capabilities.

I put on some older songs, like Berlin ones, and got to work.

I kneaded pasta as I sang along to the radio, dancing around my apartment as I grabbed eggs and salt.

“Oops,” I said, giggling like a child as I spilled flour all over my shirt. “I guess I’ll have to change later.”

Stopping only for lunch, I worked through the day. Once I was finished with the lasagna, I started an apple pie for when my mother came down for the weekend. With an hour remaining before the potluck, I hastily stored my unbaked pie in the fridge and got ready for the party. I rushed into some jeans and a nice shirt and whisked my lasagna down the street to Margaret’s apartment building.

“Knock! Knock! Knock!” My fist hit the door, and I could hear the party going full swing in the background.

“Anaya! Great that you could make it!” Olivia, Margaret’s roommate, opened the door.

“Hey Olivia! How are you?”

“I’m doing well!” She said enthusiastically, grabbing the lasagna from me as I took off my coat. She walked inside and to the right, where the kitchen/bar area was. There were a bunch of people from the building milling about in the room.

“Anaya! You actually came!” Margaret cheered, joining us.

“I know; it feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you,” Olivia chimed in.

“Yeah, I’ve been busy,” I responded.

“Laaame!” Olivia joked, nudging me in the side. “What have you been so busy working on?”

“The whole departments are changing. We’re expanding as a company, so my department is going to end up in a different building. It’ll be great, though. Our research and development team will have a lot more space in the new place. We’re not getting any new funding or technology, though, which sucks. Some of our computers and equipment are ten years old…”

“Hey, Margaret, isn’t that how old your nephew is?” Olivia asked.

“Who, Kaleb? Yeah, he’s twelve. That’s just weird to think about,” Margaret responded, shuddering a little.

“Wow, he’s twelve already? Makes me feel old!” Olivia commented with a chuckle.

“I think him and my sister are coming down for the fall pumpkin patch. You guys should join us,” Margaret suggested.

“Maybe. When are you guys going?” I asked.

“Probably in a few weeks. You remember Velisa, my sister, right? She has to get off work in order to come down. I’m not sure why she didn’t get off before. She said something about projects.”

“Ugh, projects. They’ll be the death of us all,” I groaned.

“Amen to that,” Olivia said, raising her glass. “Oh, Anaya, I haven’t offered you a drink! Would you like anything? We have beer, wine, lemonade… pick your poison.”

“Just some lemonade would be great, thank you,” I responded, flashing her a smile. She handed me a cup and I sipped it.

“Loosen up a bit, Anaya,” Margaret commented. “When was the last time you got drunk?”