“Well, the brunt of the storm has only just passed us. They have grounded all flights until at least tomorrow.”
“Fabulous,” I say.
“I’m going to talk to Paul. You want a coffee, Titmouse?”
I scowl at him, stopping the sides of my mouth from inching into a small grin. That was clever. I’ll give him that.
“Too soon?”
“Yeah, too soon. And, yes, I would love a coffee.”
He winks at me, and my body shivers. His eyes are even more vibrant than they were when I first met him, outside, in the sun, surrounded by greenery.
“Text me your order,” he says and leaves. I wait a couple minutes before I get myself out of bed and to the restroom. I grab a hoodie on my way back to the warm blankets, there’s no point in getting dressed yet, we aren’t going anywhere now.
The Titmouse is actually one of my favorite birds, or at least, it's in my top five, anyway. They have a pointy crown on top of their head and when they squeak, it sounds like a little mechanical toy. They also look like they could be a baby version of a blue jay.
I love blue jays too. Montana has Steller Jay’s, and I am really hoping to see one while we are there. If we ever make it out of North Carolina.
I hop up quickly and open the drapes. The skies are dark, and the wind is howling. There’s not a bird to be seen.
The door clicks open, and Chris comes in, two coffees and a small paper bag.
“I grabbed us muffins. I hope chocolate is, ok?”
“Chocolate is perfect. Thank you.”
He hands me a coffee and a handful of sugar and a few different creams.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I figured I would bring you the options.”
I feel a little warmth in my chest as I set my coffee on the nightstand and open one creamer. Thoughtful. Something Chad never was.
“So, what is the plan today?” I ask him.
He takes the muffins out of the bag and gives me one.
“Nothing. We hadn’t planned on this storm making landfall.”
“So, sit around and watch TV all day? I’m pretty good at that.” I nod my head.
“I haven’t sat around and watched TV all day in what feels like years.”
“Why is that?” I ask as I shove a bit of muffin into my mouth. The smell of the food made the hunger in my stomach come to life.
“I work really long hours during the week. So, on my days off, I like to catch up on sleep or I’m with my friends or parents. There is always something to do on my dad’s farm.”
“A farm?” I perk up a little where I’m sitting. I would love to live on a farm one day. But not the kind of farm where you raise animals to eat them. More like a sanctuary farm.
“Yup. They have pigs, cows, goats, llamas, ducks, chickens, and probably things I’m not even remembering.”
“I would love to have ducks someday.”
“Oh yeah? Have you ever been around ducks?”
“At the park.”
He laughs, “They are on their best behavior there. Waiting for a handout.”