For you, I hope the grass is greener

Chapter 20 Dessert Time

Daphne's POV

I gasp for air while I pace around in circles inside of my backyard. I have made so many rounds back here that there might be a pathway ingraving into the ground after I'm done with it. While in this zone, I try to shake off the feelings in my body through my arms.. I shake my head, not wanting to break down here while my husband is around. I don't want him, nor myself, to feel worse than we already do.. why put salt into our wounds? Besides, I know I'm stronger than that.. I can do this, I can get through this.

I take in a deep breath, filling my lungs just as quickly as my hands can stream through my hair. I empty my lungs completely just to take in another deep breath. The silent tears fall, but I won't let it evolve into a complete total breakdown. Luckily for me, this is slightly distracting, that is, until I hear someone clearing their throat from beside me. I look up just to lock eyes with my neighbor. I send him a small smile as I sniffle and wipe away the tears. Trying to make them go away. I don't want to look weak right now.

"Hey.. I didn't know you were there.. um.. I'm sorry.. you have helped me out so much, and I never asked for your name." I declare with embaressment as he chuckles and states. "It's Nicolas, but everyone calls me Nick.. and it's ok.. I know you have a lot going on.. especially from the incessant pacing in circles going on out here." He declares as I feel my face heating up knowing how right he is, but I don't want to admit it.

"My name is Daphne.. and in my defense, I wasn't incessantly pacing, I was just staring at the beautiful... cloudy.. sky.. and wanting fresh air." I state not very convincingly, causing him to laugh. "Yeah, me too, that's why I'm out here." he states playfully sarcastic as I shake my head and smirk over at him. I can't help but smile when he is around. He automatically makes the mood light, and to say I love it is an understatement.

I nervously break his gaze as I notice he has his hands full with a blue glass pan that is filled with some food.. but I can't tell what kind.. I can only see white across the top of it, looking like a whipped cream topping. "What is that?" I ask as he chuckles and says, "It's why I am really out here.. you may be able to lie to yourself, but I won't lie to you.. This is a pretzel, whipped cream, strawberry, cream cheese thing.. I honestly don't know what it's called, I just thought it sounded good when I read this recipe.. and thought you might like it too. I know things have been rough for you, and I know from experience that when I'm sad, I eat.. so here is a bunch of dessert for you to consume.. and ease your pain." He sweetly says to me, making my smile grow.

"You did that for me? You didn't have to do that." I state in a type of shock because no one normally goes out of their way like that for me. "I already did." he declares, holding the pan up higher as I nod, seeing that.. But I can't tell if he is trying to hand that to me or not.. so I don't take it just in case. "I thought it sounded great, but if you don't want it, then that's ok too." he says sadly as he looks away as if he is mortified for even asking.. and I never meant my reaction to cause this.

"I do! I do.. It looks amazing.. and maybe.. I don't know.. if you think it sounds so good, then maybe you should eat some of it too." I reply with a smile as he shakes his head. "I made it for you." He comments, not catching my hint at all, making me nervous because I'm not good about flirting.. I haven't done it in so many years. The inexperience shows.

He reaches over and puts the pan into my hands as I willingly take it.. because it looks amazing. "Ok, thanks.. but... maybe you should come over and share it with me.. I would love the company." I state as he nervously looks over at me with wide eyes as if he didn't expect that. That look there proves that he obviously didn't understand my first hint.

"I would love that." He says so sweetly before adding, "I'm headed to work for a little while, but I will be back tonight and can come over then if that's ok?" He explains to me as I nod before we hear the glass door opening to my house. I look over to see that it's my husband. He looks intrigued and concerned as he states. "Daph? I was wondering if you had any plans with the kids tonight?" I shake my head before I respond.

"The kids haven't planned anything, but I have plans." I declare feeling Nicolas' eyes on me but not looking away from Daniel.

"Is it ok if I take the kids to dinner to explain things to them?" he asks as I nod at him. "I do think they deserve to hear your side of things, but if they don't want to.. you bring them back home and don't force them to do anything because that will make them never want to be with you.. ok?" he nods in response, but that's not good enough for my liking, so I declare loudly. "Promise me you won't force them."

"I promise." He says as I nod. "Ok, good. You can pick them up from school to do all of that so it doesn't go too late because Marley has a final tomorrow, and I think Andrew does too." He nods and then waves as he shuts the door behind him, I think, grabbing the rest of his stuff to leave.

"I.. I wasn't trying to ruin things for you two if you did want to be with your family." Nicolas declares as I shake my head. "I don't want to go with them and hear him gush about this woman he just adores.. don't get me wrong, I want him to be happy. I just don't want to hear about it every two seconds while Im trying to get past this.. and besides, I thought it would be fun to share this between the two of us." I declare holding up the big filled pan.

He laughs at my comment before declaring, "That pan is two times the size of your head." I laugh at that as I shrug my shoulders. "You're right, and there are two of us.. so it's not as bad as you think.. I know I could do it.. I might even get a head start since I'm already a mess today." I declare playfully, causing him to smile and nod.

"Ok.. I'll see you tonight when I get home.. I hope your day gets better, Daphne.

I smile and wave at him as he leaves from the backyard and back into his place.

I stare down at the cold pan in my hands before I quickly take it into my house, then set it on the counter as I strip a corner of the plastic wrap off and grab a spoon.. I dip it into the concoction and take a small bite just wanting to get a taste but not even knowing if I would like it.

These are some of my favorite ingredients, so I'm assuming I will enjoy them all brought together into one great looking dish. But you never know if you like something until you try it. As the sweet pungent flavors hit my tongue, I moaned out at the incredibly sweet dessert.. the cream and strawberries are always a good combo, but with the pretzels, it has a nice crisp to it that I never knew I wanted.. amazing. I never expected wanting to eat this entire thing to myself.. but now that the amazing food has hit my tongue, I find that I do want to eat it all. But I won't since I told him he could share it with me. I would rather do that than eat this all alone.

As the day quickly passes, I find myself getting more and more anxious for Nicolas to join me here.. I don't know why.. I have had company over to my house in the past, and it's not like it's a date. But since I do have a natural connection with him, oddly enough, it kind of feels like a date to my overwhelmed brain. So the pressure is still there in the back of my mind and not going away anytime soon.

So I don't know why I'm incredibly nervous, I'm probably just overthinking things. Especially since he knows I'm not even divorced yet and that I have been obviously heartbroken, so I feel he will be respectful like he has done so far. I let out a deep breath, with the anxiety not going anywhere. I still haven't done anything like this with anyone but my husband in a very long time.. so the anxiousness it hitting me pretty hard no matter how nice he is.

I find myself bringing the dessert out multiple times throughout the day, taking a bite here and a bite there. But it's so good that I really want to demolish this on my own.. but I would be embarrassed to have to explain that to him since he will be coming over to eat it with me.

A thundering is heard on my door as I shove another spoonful of that pleasant dessert into my mouth as I stand up, walking to my front door and opening it. I see it's Nicolas. His hair is wet as if he just took a shower as it slightly hangs down. He pushes it out of his face before noticing I have opened the door. "Hey, Daphne.. Sorry I took a little while.. things got crazy at work, and we will just say that I was covered in throw up and needed to take a shower to be remotely presentable." He nicely explains to me so I not since my mouth is full.

I swallow the dessert before responding. "I think that exact same thing has happened to me too many times to count with my kids." I declare as his melodious baritone laugh fills my house, so I invite him in. "So the dessert was good, huh?" he asks as I shake my head. "I haven't tried it."

He tilts his head, showing he doesn't believe me as he stares. I giggle, then smirk before I say. "ok.. I only tried a tiny bit, so I really wouldn't know." He laughs again before he leans in and states in a whisper, "You have some whipped cream on your lips." I bust up laughing as I confess.. "Alright, you caught me.. it's amazing, and I have had to restrain myself from eating all of it just so you can have some." I declare making him, and I laugh loudly with one another.

"Well, I'm so happy to hear it's that good.. I have never made it before and knew I liked the ingredients, but I didn't know if I would like them all together." He states as I smile, turning around, grabbing the dessert, forks, and some plates to head to the kitchen island. He follows right behind as I pull the plastic wrap off, showing I ate at least a third of the dessert to myself, making him laugh.

"I'm really glad you liked it." He says so sweetly as he grabs a fork and just starts eating it from the pan. I smile and grab the other fork doing the same. "This is great.. I'm going to have to make that again." I vigorously nod before stating. "Yes, please... but you might be required to share it with me." He stares over at me as he chews. When he swallows, he nicely says, "I don't mind that idea one bit." I feel the smirk emerging into a face-splitting smile as I finally feel the anxiety depleting from my system.