The Donut Shop ✔️

'E' Stands for 'Easing into a New Normal'

The Honda stalled outside of Oliver's home as Ethan texted him hesitantly. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to go to the door or stay in the car, but Oliver assured him that it was okay for him to go to the door, so he did.

Ethan stood with a huge bouquet of flowers arranged in colorful streaks as he rang the doorbell and waited in the chilly night air.

A few moments later, someone that Ethan assumed was Oliver's mother opened the door and greeted him warmly. The woman was short and plump. Her dark hair was swept into a messy bun, and her kurti was stained with oil splashes. A wooden spoon was planted firmly in her grasp.

From the doorway, Oliver's house looked quaint, but not small, and homely, as there were warm colors everywhere. Family photos hung in frames on a wall, and the smell of something spicy on the stove wafted to Ethan's nose.

As soon as she ushered him in, the sound of what could only be described as a sibling's fight rang out from upstairs. 

"Give me back my shoe, Didi!" he heard Oliver shout and then heard a feminine scream. His mother shook her head and stood at the base of the stairs. 

"Oye, dumbhead! Your date is here!" she called up. Ethan heard scrambling and began to chuckle. His mother turned back to him, shaking her head. 

"Don't mind them. Come, sit," she ordered, and he plopped down on their comfy brown couch. He studied the photos displayed proudly on the wall and chuckled at how uncomfortable Oliver looked in a family photo with his three older sisters. Turns out, he was always that attractive.

"Oliver'll be just a minute," she said as she winked at Ethan and bustled back into the kitchen. Calming his nerves, he breathed, twisting the ring around his finger. He picked invisible lint off of his clothes, but right as he started, he heard footsteps clomp down the stairs.

He looked up as Oliver popped into his line of sight. He grinned, standing to his feet as he gazed at the boy. Oliver was dressed in a pastel yellow shirt, covered with his scratchy brown jacket that Ethan loved so much, with black jeans, his hair combed neatly. Ethan felt his heart race as he looked at Oliver.

"Hi," he awkwardly choked out, thrusting the flowers out to Oliver, and he laughed, accepting and sniffing them before entering the kitchen and placing them in a vase of water from the oak cabinet.

"Do I even want to know what sibling smackdown just took place?" Ethan asked, a smile forming on his face. 

Oliver rolled his eyes and harked. "They're all brats who think they own everything," he said, jogging over to the stove. He kissed his mother's cheek and told her that they were off, and she beamed at him warmly as she turned off the burner, setting the curry chicken onto a cooler surface.

"Bye, beta! Be home by 10:30!" she called out, and Oliver voiced an agreement as he grinned at Ethan, turning to leave.

As they walked to the Honda, Ethan opened the door for Oliver, and in a joking manner, Oliver's hand flew to his chest.

"I see we have a refined gentleman," he said aloud, laughing as he sat. Before they pulled out of the driveway, Ethan pulled a handkerchief and handed it to Oliver expectantly. Oliver's eyebrow raised as his eyes widened, clearly thinking of something different than Ethan was.

Quickly, Ethan jumped to clarify. "Right! It's umm... just place it over your eyes, I don't want the surprise to be ruined by you seeing the place," Ethan explained, his face flushing.

Oliver did so after clutching his stomach with laughter. He tied a loose knot in the back of his head, and Ethan began driving. They sat in the quiet, listening to a soft music station. He observed Oliver's slight tremor in his hands, and he smirked, glad he wasn't the only one feeling so nervous.