Unexpected
Alexandria Woods never suspected that something as harmless as a little cold could get her to faint while grocery shopping.
It started with a light headache while she was sitting on her computer writing on her recent book. Eventually she didn't think further about it and just kept on writing till the morning hours as her deadline got closer and she just didn't find the right ending for her tragic hero who was just about to lose her loved one to the Ice Queen.
Titus was going to kill her if she didn't make it in time again so she kept on working late for countless days. Sometimes only Anyas texts reminded her to eat and sometimes she even came over with her son Aden to bring Lexa some takeout food to make sure she wasn't starving while being lost in the words and storylines.
The light headache developed in the mean time to a full on migrain, pulsing through her forhead so she decided to pour herself another tall cold glass water in order to hopefully ease the pain. If that would've been the only thing that hurt..
Her doorbell's ringing dragged the green eyed women out of her thoughts. Of course it was Anya again, she mentioned checking on Lexa together with Aden to get her to see her nephew more often, what a subtle lie.
Fortunately once Lexa let them in, Aden dragged his auntie Lexa away from the door to the wooden floor in the living room next door where he was already starting to spread out his recent paintings.
Every time she saw his art Lexa's eyes would absorb the peaceful pictures of the lake and forest of Aden's hometown Polis lovingly. He was a talented 10 year-old, brushes und pencils always have been matching his calm personality, so Lexa would give him the appreciation and honest opinion on the pieces every time she could. She was his best critic.
Once they finished discussing art like professionals Anya commanded them to eat with her on the large wooden table in the kitchen. It was becoming kind of a habbit for them to stay the night at Lexa's after Aden would have begged Lexa and Anya to watch Mulan or Jackie Chan or some other movie, just to fall fast asleep after the first 40 minutes on the couch. Anya would tug him in with her on the guest room's bed after telling Lexa to go to sleep, too. Eventually Lexa fell asleep bend over her office table drooling with her head on the glass plate next to her keyboard, the computer still running through the night.
Waking up she did find next to her head: One iced coffee latte with extra caramel from the Starbucks next door, a chocolate chip muffin and a note from Anya and Aden.
She really loved those two more than anything in the world.
Taking the second bite of the delicious muffin an annoying ringing noise ruined her first moments of being awake without the headache, so Lexa picked her phone up quickly to find Titus' name on the display. Of course he'd called exactly one week before the deadline getting her to become more anxious about the end of the book as she already was.
"What is it, Titus?", she sighed.
"You know, I really dislike that tone, young lady. As your publisher I'd rather get some more respect of you.” Titus chuckled dryly. “How is my a-list author today?"
More sighing followed on Lexa's side.
"Ugh shush it, uncle Titus. I'm fine, as always.” Rolling her eyes she thought to herself that she had to ask it now if she wanted to keep the conversation as short as possible. “What's the real reason you called?"
"Oh you know.. just some light chat, catching up on my niece.. checking on her health.. hearing about her second book's ending, maybe..", the last bit of his rambling sounded more like a slightly fearful question in Lexa's ears. And the sighing continued.
"You don't have to pretend I'm made of porcelain, Titus. I'm perfectly fine by myself and I can absolutely handle the deadline. Trust me, it's all nearly finished, just some little changing here and there. Stop behaving as if what happened six months ago broke me so much, that I couldn't work properly anymore. I'll send you the final draft in seven days."
With those words Lexa hung up, clutching at her chest that got way too tight after that, catching her rapid breath carefully.
She freaking knew she wasn't fine because of what happened between her and Costia. Crying herself to sleep the first four weeks without talking to anyone about it was anything but fine.
But she realised she couldn't be moping all the time after Anya found her in her apartment being a shadow of her former self. She had to pull herself together just for a couple of weeks to work on her book, finish it and then take the break her heart and brain needed. For that time she had to stick to her mantra of seeing love as weakness, just a blocking object on her road to get recognition for her work, her passion, her art. Everything she was fighting for since she moved out wasn't worth risking just because of some weak feelings.
Eventually her eyes focused back on the muffin and Anya and Aden's note. Munching the last few bites of the muffin she read the note carefully:
"Next time we come around your fridge better be fuller than yesterday!
Take care lil Sis. We love you."
Next to that was a little sketch of three stick humans holding hands with the word 'family' and a little heart over them.
So despite of her throbbing head, Lexa went to her appartement door, grapped her purse, stuffed a few dollar bills into it, plugged in her headphones, took on her black boot and started a little walk to the next grocery store that was just two blocks away.
The music seemed to calm her nerves and her migraine was barely a major problem anymore, next to eventually making her sister angry by having no food in her living space.
She cleared her mind of any Costia related thoughts when she stepped in front of the automatic opening door of the grocery store, focussing only on the edible supplies she wanted to get.
Two packs of spagetti, milk, bread, instant coffee, three cans filled with chicken soup and letuce already found their way into Lexa's shopping car when a women next to her asked her if everything was alright because Lexa seemed to look like the walking dead himself.
Lexa nodded assuringly and wanted to continue her way to grap some mac 'n' cheese but her knees got suddenly weaker than she thought them to be and everything around her faded to black.
Is that what dying feels like?