For the first time in my life, I didn’t want to jump out of bed, make coffee, and get started with my own day right away. My only thoughts were of how to care for her. Was she a big breakfast person? How did she take her coffee, if she even drank it? Did she prefer to shower in the morning or at night?
I wanted to learn absolutely everything about her so that I could adjust accordingly. Logistically, it was going to take a lot of shuffling, but bizarrely, I was looking forward to it. I needed to see what my life looked like with Kate in it.
I couldn’t believe that I had blurted out so many heartfelt confessions last night.
I’d always been the kind of guy who thought before he spoke, and spoke very little overall. There was so much of myself that I couldn’t control around her. It was oddly thrilling.
She was the one. I would never have dreamed that the right girl even existed for me, but here she was.
My body started to get twitchy from trying so hard to stay still, and I realized I was going to wake her up no matter what. Pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, I slowly untangled us, rolling out from under her. She murmured something unintelligible, her hand tucking under the pillow where I had just left.
Grabbing my shorts, I went to the washroom, then out to the kitchen to see what I had in the way of breakfast.
After putting the coffee on, I began chopping up onions and peppers, and shredding spinach. Whether she preferred scrambled eggs or omelets, at least I would have the prep work done.
As I poured my coffee, I realized that I was humming to myself. Me. Humming. I didn’t know if that had ever happened before. Wiping my hands, I went over to the sound system to put on an old blues album at a whisper-quiet volume.
The mattress creaked a few times in the bedroom, then I heard some rustling, followed by the door opening and little feminine footsteps approaching.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” I smiled, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her forehead. “Do you drink coffee?”
Kate nodded. “It smells great.”
“I don’t have cream, but there’s some milk in the fridge.”
“Black is better, thanks.”
I poured her a mug and she sat down at the table and what I instantly thought of as her spot. “Scrambled eggs or omelets ?” I asked.
Blinking, she looked around the kitchen and saw that breakfast was underway. “Oh. I don’t want to be any more trouble.”
“We both have to eat, and if I’m cooking for you, that means you’re resting. So which do you prefer?”
“Um, I like both. Whichever is easier, I guess, or whichever you prefer?”
I shrugged. “Scrambled, then. Sometimes this pan does omelets unevenly.”
She seemed impressed at the fluffy plate full of eggs that appeared in front of her, along with toast and raspberry jam.
“If you like, you could come grocery shopping with me today,” I said, sitting down to my own plate. “This jam is from the Iversen farm stand that’s on the way.”
I watched as Kate’s eyes rolled back, a huge grin across her pretty face. “These are amazing,” she mumbled behind her hand with her mouth full.
“Thanks.”
Once she had swallowed, she said, “I really do need to work today though. I’m hoping to get at least ten new songs completed during my stay, which is a tall order.”
Sipping my coffee, I said, “That’s cool. Maybe we could have dinner together, then. Or go for a walk whenever you take a break in the evening.”
She nodded. “Sure. But listen, when I fall into the songwriting flow, I kind of zone out for a while. So if I don’t answer my phone, please don’t get worried, all right?”
I nodded. “I get it. You creative types have your own mystical little headspaces,” I smiled. I reached out to give her hand squeeze. “Kate, how are you feeling this morning?”
She reached up to touch the back of her head. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. I won’t go poking this spot for a while, but I think I’m fine.”
“And how about…elsewhere?” I asked, pointing to her lap with a quick glance.
Kate was so cute when she blushed. “Oh, that.” She pulled her hand back to tuck her hair behind her ears, giggling softly. “I wouldn’t go poking that spot for a little while either. But, you know…it’s amazing.”