To Our Pinky Promises

Epilogue

Henry pulled the door open and the bell above the door chimed to signal our arrival. A voice from inside the restaurant said something out loud in greeting

During the two years that we're together, hell, ever since we met each other again after having lost contact for years, Henry has never let me lift a damn finger whenever we went out together. He was ever the gentleman.

I don't know if I'll ever get used to that and I hope it stayed that way.

I used to wake up everyday thinking, "Yep, today's the day he'll stop being so nice and I am not going to feel disappointed at all."

I guess it was just my defense mechanism to avoid setting high expectations that will cause me disappointment and end up making me a toxic person. I didn't want to start thinking that I was entitled to a certain special treatment and start getting too comfortable and unintentionally start taking advantage of someone who has been nothing short of amazing to me.

And in all honesty, that delightful elating feeling of surprise whenever I find out, "Oh, he's still being a gentleman and treating me nicely today too," can possibly last me the entire week.

I hope to God it'll never get old.

We walked to the counter and he spoke to the staff behind the counter, placing his order in before turning to me, "What do you want to get?"

My eyes roamed the printed menu displayed on the wall behind the counter, "I'll just get some pancakes."

"Do you want some ice cream on top of it?" The employee behind the cashier asked me as she tapped in my order into the system.

I gave her my sweetest smile, "Yes, please."

"Any drinks?" She asked us and I turned to look at Henry. "Do you want anything?"

"Orange juice, please." He told her.

I turned to the employee, "Make that two."

She nodded, continued to tap on the screen a few times before looking up at us with a smile, "That'll be $20.95."

I went to grab my card out of my bag but Henry tapped his card on the EFTPOS machine first. "It's my turn to pay today," He reminded me.

I opened my mouth to make a comeback but he shushed me before anything could come out of my mouth. "Just go take a seat, I'll wait for the food to come out and bring it to the table."

I couldn't leave without making a face at him to express the mix of discomfort and thanks I was feeling. He knows I'm grateful for him, though, we've been together long enough for him to be able to interpret that look accurately without misunderstandings.

"I'll find a table for us over there, yea?" I pointed to our left.

Henry nodded, "I'll find you."

I then walked off to find an empty table for us. I spotted an empty booth and walked over to it, only to be stopped by someone calling me out.

"Em!"

I turned around in surprise, not expecting to meet anyone here, and saw a friend I didn't know I wanted to see again.

There stood Alexander West, his features have slightly changed but he looked pretty much the same as the last time I saw him.

"Oh, hey!" I waved, offering him a smile.

"What are you doing here? Are you already on your break?" He asked as he walked closer.

I noticed a girl tailing him from behind and stopping to stand beside him as he stopped only a few feet away from me.