Chapter 3
Rachel scrolled through the news on her cell and was sipping the piping hot coffee in her cup when Chloe quietly walked into the kitchen, but the noises that her slippers made when going up and down had already given her away outside the swinging door.
"Hey babe," Chloe said hesitantly and poured coffee into the cup on the kitchen counter.
It was unusual for Rachel to be awake before her.
"Hey," Rachel said curtly without looking up from her phone.
Usually Chloe enjoyed making coffee for both of them in the morning and breakfast too, but an empty bowl and a used spoon in the sink showed that Rachel must have had breakfast without her, surely she must be tired of waiting. Just like...
"How long have you been up?"
"'n hour"
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Why would I? You slept deeply."
"OK"
Chloe grabbed a granola bar from the fridge and sat down at the kitchen table across from Rachel.
"Babe? Are you ... still mad at me about yesterday?"
Rachel just looked up for a moment.
"Mmh," she went on, whatever that meant.
Chloe puffed into her cup, played with her wedding ring on the free hand that held nothing.
"Rachel, can you say something please ?"
Rachel put her cell phone aside and stood up.
"What do you mean?"
"You were angry at me yesterday, because I kept you waiting in that mall, without saying anything and well that ... and then ... uhm..."
"Oh, you mean whether I'm angry because you left me in the freaking mall after you actually intended to do something nice forme, or do you think I'm angry because you promised afterwards in the restaurant, it's all about you and me and then spent the entire evening staring at the toddler at the next table and turning our romantic date into a damn kindergarten?
No, no, I'm not. At all."
"Rachel, I'm really sorry, honestly."
"What is going on with you?"
"Nothing."
"Are you on your period?"
"No why?"
"It's okay, don't think about it."
"Rachel ..."
"I'm going for a jog. Do you wanna come?"
"What? But it's still raining."
"That's fine."
"Wait babe, I-"
"When I get back, okay, hold that thought."
Rachel got up, emptied her cup in one go, coughed briefly and put everything, including the dishes in the sink, into the dishwasher.
Chloe was still trying to say something, but Rachel just grabbed the paper from the granola bar and tossed it in the trash can, then turned on her heel and walked out the door.
Exactly six minutes later, Chloe heard Rachel's sneakers by the door.
"Later," called Rachel out of sight. Then the door opened and closed again.
Chloe tried to remember the last time she hadn't been kissed in the morning, but couldn't.