A 23-year-old Patricia Williamson wakes up to the smell of smoke.
"What the hell?" She mumbles under her breathe, sitting up. She sniffs the air a few times, confused, but her eyes widen at the realization of something burning.
She looks next to her on the bed, where her boyfriend, Eddie, usually is. But, for some strange reason, despite the fact that it's Saturday and both their days off, he's absent.
"Eddie!" She calls out, getting to her feet and scrambling out the door of their bedroom in a panic. "Eddie, what's going on?" She slides into the kitchen, to see him with his back to her, waving a dish rag at flames growing in front of him.
"I don't know how to put it out!"
"Throw the towel over it!" She shrieks, running up next to him. "That's what they do in the movies!"
He does so, but the cloth only catches, spreading the fire even more. A large oil spill on the counter next to the stove where the fire originally started ignites, also, and Patricia grabs Eddie's arm, pulling him away.
"Call 911!" She insists and, after a moment of comprehension, he does so, taking the phone from on top of the fridge and dialing the fire station.
An hour later, they sit side-by-side on their couch, listening as the fire truck whirs and rushes away, back to the station. Patricia sighs, turning towards Eddie.
"What the hell happened?" She questions, and he pulls a face.
"I was just trying to make you breakfast." He explains slowly and unconvincingly.
"Pancakes?"
"No, eggs Benedict."
She frowns at the mention of her favorite breakfast food. He never cooks anything but pancakes, hoagies, and spaghetti.
"Um, why?"
He shakes his head nervously. "Oh, no reason-"
"Eddie!" He begins to get up, but she grabs his hand, pulling him back down. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing..." He repeats, looking down at his lap. "Just, um... Iwasgoingtoaskyoutomarryme."
Patricia's mouth gapes open. "What?"
"You heard me.
She did. "Oh."
He gets to his feet, and this time she doesn't stop him. He heads to the kitchen, coming back with a large, white cardboard box and something clutched in his hand.
He hands her the box, and she opens it up, eyes growing even bigger at the sight of her favorite cupcake, s'mores from the bakery down the street. She swipes a finger through the frosting and brings it up to her mouth, sucking the sweetness off.
"Yes." She murmurs, and he looks up, startled.
"What?"
"You heard me." And, with that, she gets to her feet and to the bathroom to take a shower, as if nothing had happened.
an: it's been too long. way too long. i missed you all, so i decided to write something for you. i hope you enjoyed!