The Yellow Brick Road

Chapter 20: PANCAKE – Dearka, Milly and the morning after.

September, C.E. 80

Milly awakes to the smell of butter and batter. She isn't much of a cook, and she lives alone, so she isn't sure if what she smells is all a dream. But then she removes the blanket on her and sits up on the bed. That's when she spots Dearka moving about in her kitchen, wearing the pink apron she puts on display but never uses.

Dearka, sensing movement behind him, turns around, spatula in hand. He flashes her one of his playful grins. "Mornin'."

When he notices Milly suspiciously looking at his pots and pans happily cooking on the stove, his expression turns sheepish. "Sorry, I raided your fridge. Hope you don't mind."

Milly shakes her head in amusement and gets up to see what he's been cooking up in the kitchen. "All's good." She observes him transferring a golden pancake onto a plate which he passes on to her. Milly grabs a fork and stuffs a piece in her mouth, pleasantly surprised at the taste. "Wow. I never knew you could cook."

Dearka chuckles, as he makes another piece. He says almost nonchalantly, "There are a lot of things you don't know about me." It takes him a while to realize what he'd just said. Her silence is clue enough. He flips the pancake. "Wait. I'm sorry. I didn't -"

"No, you're right," Milly says soberly; her playful mood dissipates. "There are a lot of things I don't know about you."

Dearka is unsure why they're suddenly so cautious and sensitive like this. It isn't like anything happened the night before anyway. They only talked about the most random things, and he eventually fell asleep on the couch. He transfers the freshly cooked pancake onto Milly's plate. "There are a lot of things I don't know about you too." Dearka gives her a half-hearted smile and shrugs his shoulders. "I guess we just never tried."

Milly looks down at her pancakes, all round and golden and perfect, save for that piece she bit on. She is almost ashamed of herself. "Dearka." She pauses and chews her lower lip, but her eyes do not leave the breakfast plate Dearka made for her. "Dearka, I want to try."

Dearka is taken aback and doesn't know what to say. Instead, he shuts off the stove. He places the utensils on the sink. He starts to fumble with the apron he borrowed. "Milly?"

Milly finally looks him in the eyes, sincere and sorry yet not pleading. "Can I try?"