Chapter 8 -Morning Sunshine
1079 Words
The weekend arrived faster than I expected.
Finally, a little time to pause and breathe.
It was Saturday morning, and the kids were already awake before I even had the chance to call them. I let them change their bedsheets while I gathered all the dirty clothes and loaded them into the washing machine.
Liam would be coming after lunch.
He had a meeting nearby on Monday morning, so he had decided to sleep over for the weekend and head straight to his meeting from my house.
The kids had been excited since the moment I told them.
My mistake.
I told them too early.
"What do you want for breakfast?" I asked.
I usually cooked breakfast on weekends. Nothing fancy. Just something simple and homey.
Most of the time, we ate outside at the porch, where the morning sun came in gently and the air still felt cool.
"I want English muffin with scrambled egg, Mommy," Zarra said.
"What about you, Zayn?"
"Same."
Of course.
Zayn had always been easy when it came to food.
"Wanna cook with Mommy?"
"Nu-uh. I wanna play with Uncle Liam!" Zarra announced.
I held back a laugh.
"Uncle Liam is coming in the evening, Zarra. Not now."
Her face immediately fell.
Before she could start negotiating with me, I quickly added, "How about you and your brother help Mommy open the windows and doors first?"
Thankfully, both of them accepted the distraction.
Without much fuss, they went around the house doing their little morning chores.
I made my way to the kitchen and took out the English muffins. After slicing them in half, I toasted them lightly on a pan.
While waiting, I cracked five eggs into a bowl, whisked them lightly, then added a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Once the muffins were toasted just the way I liked them, I transferred them onto a plate. Using the same pan, I added a little oil before pouring in the eggs.
The soft sizzling sound filled the kitchen as I gently moved the spatula around the pan.
Scrambled eggs.
Simple.
Comforting.
I suddenly thought sausages would go well with the meal, so after the eggs were done, I tossed three sausages into the pan and let them cook until lightly browned.
Once everything was ready, I plated the food and called the kids.
"Breakfast is ready. Let's eat outside."
"Yay!" Zarra shouted from the hallway.
"Bring your plates to the porch, okay? Mommy will bring your milk."
After preparing my iced latte, I carried my plate and their drinks outside.
The morning sun shone gently over the porch.
A cool breeze moved through the plants, carrying the faint scent of wet soil and blooming Japanese roses. A few tiny moths fluttered around the flowers, and Zarra immediately tried to chase them.
"Don't step on Mommy's plants," I warned.
"I won't!" she shouted, even though one foot was already dangerously close to my spider lily.
Zayn, on the other hand, was sitting quietly at the table, already eating his breakfast piece by piece.
Muffin first.
Eggs second.
Sausage last.
I leaned back in my chair, watching them while sipping my iced latte.
For once, the morning did not feel rushed.
It felt soft.
Peaceful.
Like the world had decided to let me breathe before the day grew louder.
Once everyone had finished breakfast and spent a little more time outside soaking up the morning sun, I finally called them in.
"Come on. Let's go inside, rest a bit, then take a shower."
I collected the used plates while Zayn helped carry the mugs into the kitchen. Without being asked, he rinsed everything and loaded them into the dishwasher.
Sweet boy.
By the time we were back inside, the washing machine had already finished its cycle. I unloaded the clothes and transferred them into the dryer before letting Zayn and Zarra settle in the playroom.
Then I headed to the guest room.
It had been a few days since I last tidied it properly.
I switched on the light and fan, drew the curtains aside, and opened the window. Fresh air slipped into the room almost immediately, carrying the faint scent of morning rain and sun-warmed leaves.
I brought the robot vacuum inside and let the little machine do its job.
Everything else was already in place.
Still, I fluffed the pillows, straightened the blanket even though it looked perfectly fine, then checked the wardrobe for spare towels and toiletries.
Liam was not a guest, exactly.
He was family.
But I still liked making the room feel welcoming.
I was about to leave the guest room when my phone buzzed inside my pocket.
On weekends, I usually focused on the kids and myself. I rarely checked my phone unless I needed to reply to customers or post something on i********:.
Still, I pulled it out.
Adam.
Morning, sunshine.
Before I could respond, another message arrived.
Having a great weekend breakfast?
I chuckled.
He must have seen my i********: post earlier.
My fingers betrayed me before my common sense could stop them.
Morning.
Yes. Sort of.
I stared at the screen for a second before typing again.
Not working today?
I had no idea what else to ask.
His reply came shortly after.
Working as usual.
My off day is Monday.
Monday.
That was oddly precious.
To have a Monday off while the rest of the world dragged itself into another working week.
For a few seconds, I did not know what to say, so I simply left the message there.
But Adam did not stop.
You didn't answer my question.
I frowned.
Which question?
The typing indicator appeared.
Then his message came.
Can we be friends?
Ah.
That one.
I stared at the screen.
To be honest, I don't know.
Because truly, I didn't.
I didn't know what friends meant to him.
Did he mean casual friends?
Texting friends?
Lonely people keeping each other company?
Or something else entirely?
Why? he asked.
God.
I did not even have a proper answer.
So I typed the first thing that came to mind.
I don't want to get close to someone's husband.
I froze for a second after sending it.
I didn't even know why I said that.
His reply came almost immediately.
Oh.
I'm not.
I blinked.
Excuse me?
Another message appeared.
I'm single.
I stared at the two words longer than necessary.
Single.
Somehow, that made the conversation feel more dangerous than before.
- Writer
