Author's Note: I want to thank all of you who are still reading my story (lol!). I know my chapters are quite long but eventually things will move faster. I just need to introduce all the characters that are needed in this part of the story so please be patient with me. As always, I would like to thank all those people who read, review, followed and listed my story as one of their favorites. Thank you very much from the bottom of my Doccubus heart (lol!).
Disclaimer: I don't own Lost Girl and the characters. I just used them for my story.
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Chapter Five
The three of them are looking at a much younger Lauren. This was when she got her pre-med degree and was 20 years old.
"Whoa! She's beautiful Bo. Look, it's something about a graduation. It looked like she was given an award." Tamsin says.
Bo looks at the younger version of Lauren. She can't help but smile and admire every inch of her face.
Kenzi reads, "The Russell Chittenden Prize was awarded annually to the senior in Yale College majoring in the natural sciences or mathematics who ranks in scholarship. There's a citation for her." She clicked the link. "The citation was as follows:
In 1995, Lauren Lewis is only 16 years old when she entered Yale University. This year, she graduates summa cum laude with Distinction in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at the age of 20. But the distinction truly extends to her entire academic record at Yale: she graduates with 37 credits, with every grade a straight A. One of her biochemistry professors has commented: "She exudes excellence in everything she does." She was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year.
Lauren was a member of Yale Women's Track and Field team as a distance runner from 1995-1999. As she graduates, she earned a USTFCCCA All-Academic honor for her combined academic and athletic accomplishment. In 1997, she earned the Yale College Dean's Fellowship in the Sciences and Engineering for her research on mRNA and protein splicing and as a result, she was accorded the Alfred Bader Award in Bioinorganic or Bioorganic Chemistry by the American Chemical Society for the same research the next year. After this she will pursue her medical doctor degree here in Yale hoping to finish it seamlessly and specialize in clinical genetics and research.
In recognition of her unstinting commitment to academic excellence, Yale College proudly awards the Russell Henry Chittenden Prize to Lauren Lewis."
"Wow Bo, your girl's a genius. She graduated as summa cum laude and she won several awards." Kenzi exclaims. "How was she? Was she the nerdy type?"
"What did you mean when you say nerdy?" Bo asks.
"Socially awkward, shy, quirky or someone that randomly spouts facts."
"That's stereotyping and you know I hate that." Bo frowns at Kenzi.
"I know, sorry. Answer my question please." Kenzi grins.
"Far from it. What I saw was a beautiful and confident young woman who knew what she wanted and how to get it. Although she spouted some random facts and she was adorable." Bo smiles.
Kenzi and Tamsin looked at each other and hummed their approval.
"It looked like you've spent some time with her. How was that possible? It's just yesterday when you were clueless of her identity. All I knew was you and Kenzi spent all night looking at pictures in some websites." Tamsin asks.
Bo sighs. "I'll tell you all about it." She looks at their eager faces. "But please don't interrupt my narrative. And I need a drink." She goes to open her personal refrigerator and brought out 6-pack bottles of a New Haven local craft beer.
"I want a stronger drink. But this will do." Kenzi nods. She passes a bottle to Tamsin. "Tell us and promise no interruption."
Bo tells them about her day – from the email she received from Stephen up to the point when Hale dropped her on the way home, leaving out some details about her interactions with Lauren.
"Wow! So that's the reason why you just came home. This is huge Bo! If what Vex told you and Hale about the suspect's family, it will be all over the news!" Kenzi stands up and sits beside Bo. "And Lauren is one of your witnesses. Talk about strange meetups, you and Lauren kept seeing each other in dangerous situations. You had to put a stop on that. And I want to meet Vex. I think he's cool."
"Kenz, if it's in my power I'd rather met Lauren on low risk situations but let's face it, I'm police officer. There's really a huge chance that I will meet my potential significant other in my line of work. It is either another police officer or a person who was directly or indirectly linked to my job and you both knew I already put a stop on any possibility that I will date another police officer."
"Why? I mean, what's with that rule?" Tamsin frowns.
"First, it's a dangerous job. Being a police officer puts me in danger every day and if I'm going to date another police officer, that would be disastrous. Second, I can't stand the ego of some of my fellow police officers. I hate the pissing contest. Third, I thought of the long hours that we will be spending on the job. There's always the possibility that we won't see each other because of our different shifts. And lastly, I haven't felt any connection to any of them except for Hale. And Hale is my partner and my brother. So there are my reasons." Bo explains.
"I see your point Bo. But you only just spent 2 years in the job. What if someday you will meet a potential significant other in a police uniform? What if the person is not an egoistic bastard and you felt a connection? Would you still have that rule?" Kenzi points out.
"Refer to my first and third reasons. Still no go." Bo shakes her head.
Tamsin raised her eyebrows. "Well what if Lauren was a police officer? What will you do about that?"
"Hey that's a good question. I didn't think of that." Kenzi high-fives Tamsin. They both turns to Bo, who was opening her second bottle of beer.
"Oh... I..." The usual articulate police officer is speechless.
"Oh my God. I can't believe this. You're going to break your rule for her." Kenzi laughs. Suddenly, it dawns on her. "Shit, Tam, she left out some details from her narrative." She does the air quotes while rolling her eyes.
"What?" Bo asks nonchalantly.
"Spill the deets Bo, c'mon. It's just me and Kenzi." Tamsin whines.
Bo laughs. "You want me to tell you the details so you can tease me endlessly."
"You're being unfair. Remember, I helped you when you tried searching for her. You owed me." Kenzi snorts.
Bo huffs. "Okay. Well, what about you?" She turns to Tamsin.
"What? You're not going to tell me? Well, I was very supportive right from the very start. And Bo, Kenzi won't resist telling me so just save her breath and tell us what we wanted to know." Tamsin demands.
Bo chugs down half of the beer and started peeling the label off the bottle while searching for the right words to say. This was a habit of hers whenever she's nervous or anxious. "When Hale was talking to her while she was inside her car, I got curious because I saw his reaction. He smiled nicely and helped her get out. At first, I didn't even look at her face because I was busy ogling at her feet all the way up. I was shocked when I recognized her. She was also surprised to see me but she recovered faster than me. She shook my hand and her hand was warm and it's soothing. She looked into my eyes and I felt that she's looking into my very soul. I looked down and felt very shy. I tried not to ramble and falter in front of her. As the night went by, I got to see a glimpse of who she really is and I liked what I saw. We laughed, we teased each other. She flirted with me, I flirted back. She was serious most of the time but she can be funny as well."
Kenzi and Tamsin are silent. They are absorbing every word that Bo is saying.
"It was obvious that she has a good relationship with Vex. I saw that in their interactions. I felt a little bit jealous. It was funny actually. Why would I feel that way? I didn't have the right to feel that way but I did. It was pathetic and foolish."
"Bo, it's not pathetic or foolish. You felt a little bit jealous because you were feeling something for her. And you want to be close to her but you can't. Not right now. And because you're a control freak..."
"Hey I'm not a control freak!" Bo interrupts.
"Okay relax, you are little bit of a control freak. Just admit it." Kenzi grins. "And because you are, when you felt these emotions it made you think that you were being pathetic and foolish when I can say you were not. Why? It's because you felt it and it came from here..." She points at Bo's heart. "... rather than here." She points at Bo's head. "You're just afraid, afraid of showing her this side of you. You're afraid to be vulnerable in front of her. Because you want to be strong for her, you want to be her protector and you're afraid that she doesn't need you because there are other people that surrounds her like Vex. But I will tell you this, it's okay to show her that side of you. Maybe she doesn't need another protector. Maybe she needs you to show yourself without the mask, without the walls that you were trying to erect around you. Think about it."
"Are you sure you're not a psychology major student?" Tamsin teases Kenzi. "That was awesome sauce Kenz."
"Hahaha no. I'd rather work on computers. Then I also love forensics because of the numerous crime shows that I watched through the years. So taking up forensic science as my major is a win-win situation for me." Kenzi smiles. "After graduation, maybe I can apply here in New Haven. I heard the city lacked forensic science people to do the dirty job."
"Who told you?" Bo asks.
"Hale, of course."
"Yeah well, the city will definitely wait for you." Bo smiles. She was ready to continue her narrative when her phone alerted her with a message tone. "Who's gonna text me at this hour?" She opens her messages and sees that Lauren sent her three text messages.
Q: Why are ghosts so bad at lying?
A: Because you can see right through them!
Q: What did one thirsty vampire say to the other as they were passing by the morgue?
A: Let's stop in for a cool one!
Q: Why did the vampire get fired from the blood bank?
A: He was caught drinking on the job!
Bo can't stop the laughter that vibrates from her chest after reading Lauren's texts.
The other women are intrigued by her sudden change of mood. "What are you laughing at?"
"Lauren texted me some jokes. They are very funny so I laughed." She giggles.
"Let me see." Kenzi takes Bo's phone and reads the messages with Tamsin. After a few beats, both looked at Bo and snorts.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Bo, the jokes were quite funny but you laughed like they were jokes from Saturday Night Live." Kenzi laughs incredulously.
"They were very funny to me. Or maybe I'm just too sleepy. What do you think?"
"Maybe you're just sleepy." Tamsin smiles.
"Right. So Kenz, how was school?"
"It was good and fun. But wait, I don't think you are finished telling us the story about you and Lauren Bo. You can't just dismiss us." Kenzi grins.
"No, I'm not trying to escape or anything. I am actually listening to what you have said. Both of you know that I haven't dated for quite a long time now. I don't know how to play games. The last relationship that I had, I was a jerk and we didn't have the proper closure. I don't know how to do this."
"Bo, we all don't know how to do relationships. Hell, I haven't been in love so I just sleep with each person I met and then ditch them afterwards. Kenzi, on the other hand, had already been into serious relationships but all were fleeting. But we are still young. We can still hope. I, for one, am hopeful." Tamsin says.
"You are? Really?" Kenzi asks.
"Of course. I'm not that jaded Kenz. I'm just frustrated. Hey speaking of relationships, what's the deal with you and Nate?" Tamsin asks.
"Nate and me? What about us?" Kenzi frowns.
"Yeah, what's with you and Nate? I've been waiting for the right time to ask you that. Is there something going on between the two of you?" Bo asks.
"Nada. We are just getting along nowadays, nothing serious." Kenzi says.
"I don't agree. You were sweet with each other when I saw you last time in the bar while he was working. I was there." Tamsin shakes her head. "C'mon it's just the three of us here, we're sisters. We won't tell Trick."
"You're busted Kenz. You can't deny it. Just spill the beans. We won't judge. At least one of us has a love life." Bo smiles. She was really happy for Kenzi but was sad for Hale. Poor Hale. Hale has been secretly pining for the young woman since he met her two years ago.
Kenzi rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright. Nate and I has been dating since we started going to school. It hasn't been a month yet. As I said earlier, nothing serious." She looked at Bo. "I swear you will be in a relationship before this year ends. I can feel it."
Bo laughs incredulously. "No, that's impossible. That's not going to happen. And besides I will be busy with the case."
"Wanna bet?" Kenzi looks Tamsin. "I'm serious. How about you?"
Tamsin narrows her eyes. "Hmmm this year? I don't think so."
"See? Tamsin doesn't think so."
"And you believe Tamsin, the relationship guru?" Kenzi laughs. "You have low standards."
Tamsin hits Kenzi in the head. "Hey I'm offended. And I'm not finished. I think Bo will be in a relationship early next year. Let's say before Valentine's Day. I'm betting 50 dollars for that."
"You're on sistah!" Kenzi high-fives Tamsin.
"Wait! Betting with money is illegal. And betting about my love life is rude." Bo complaines.
"It's just between the two of us. Or do you want to join? You wanna bet on your love life?" Kenzi snickers.
Bo is going to comment on that when she hears her phone ring. An unregistered number appears on the screen. "Oh who's calling me now? God, it's almost 3 'o clock in the morning. Hello?" She smiles. "Hi Vex. I thought you were already sleeping. What's up?"
"Hi Bo. Did I disturb you? Were you already sleeping?"
"No it's okay. I'm still up but ready to hit the sack. Is there something wrong with you and Lauren?"
"No, it's nothing. Don't worry. I just want to ask what Lauren texted you earlier."
"Oh. Just a bunch of jokes, that's all. I was actually surprised when I got them. The last text that I got from her before the jokes was kinda formal."
"Oh my God. You're one of us now. Congratulations!" Vex's laugh is rambunctious.
"What do you mean? Who's 'us'?"
"Me, Dyson, Ryan and Ciara. You were initiated to one of 'After Hours Lauren' classic acts."
"And that is?"
"Texting corny jokes when drunk."
"She drunk-texted me? Is she okay?"
"She's okay. We were watching TV when we decided to drink. She drank a whole bottle of wine. She just forgot to pace herself. And she's tired. Exhaustion plus alcohol was not a good combination. But she's already sleeping so all is well."
"Good. How about you, are you okay? Are you drunk?
"No, I'm good. Thank you. I just drank two tall glasses of gin and tonic. I called just to check what Lauren texted you. And also to say good morning, Officer Dennis. Please say hi to your friends! I knew you would be telling them about our adventures last night.
"So wise, Mr. Tate! Good thing you called. I want to take this opportunity to thank you.
"Thank me? For what?"
"For answering Hale's question in a subtle way that if I blinked I have missed it."
"Oh that! Yeah well, I was always been a good wing man for Lo ever since she got out there you know! The best! Although there's this one time when I failed her, uhhh sorry twice! Ooops, I shouldn't have said that! My tongue got looser, thanks to the gin and tonic. I shouldn't have said that! Lo will kill me. Bo, please don't tell her that I told you!"
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
"Thank you Bo! You know if you need my help, you can count on me! That's a promise!"
"I'll keep that in mind Vex."
"I know you will. So... before I got more tactless and my tongue got looser, I need to get off the phone!" He laughs.
"Okay. Drink a glass of water before you sleep. It will help with the hangover. Good morning!"
"Ciao. See you when I see you!"
He hangs up.
"Who's that on the phone?" Tamsin asks.
"It was Vex, Lauren's best friend."
"It seems that you have a rapport with him." Kenzi voices her observation.
"Yeah. He's cool and there's a lightness in his personality that you can't resist but to talk to him. I think that's why he and Lauren are best friends. He is this one person that has been present in Lauren's life since they were kids, until now. I need him to be my friend, to be on my side."
"Well, looks like you already have a plan." Tamsin smiles wickedly.
"What? Plan for what?"
"For Lauren, obviously." Kenzi quips.
"To be perfectly honest with the two of you, for now this has something to do with the case."
"If you say so." Kenzi says with a tight-lipped smile.
"I say so." Bo narrows her eyes and looks at her two best friends. "So if there's nothing else, go to your rooms and rest. I need to sleep because after lunch, Hale and I will be working on the case."
"Okay, see you at lunch. I also need to work on some school projects. And get back to my searches." Kenzi says.
"You have projects this early of the school year? I don't think so. You'll just call Nate and make lovey-dovey talk with him." Tamsin grins.
"Nate is still working so you're so very wrong on that Tam." Kenzi winks.
"Okay whatever. Get out of my room." Bo literally shoves them out of her room.
"You know you need to get laid so you would be less cranky." Tamsin laughs.
Bo raises her eyebrows. "So what's your excuse then huh? I'm cranky because I was up early yesterday and I've been awake for almost 24 hours now. And you don't have a say about my sex life. It's private."
She closes and lockes her door before Tamsin or Kenzi think of anything to say about her statement. She's really exhausted and the need for sleep is inevitable. She picks up the bottles of beer and dumps them into the garbage can. She arranges the throw pillows on the couch where Tamsin and Kenzi sat earlier when they talked. The couch was kind of bulky but her room is big. She bought it in a sale and put it into her room. This is where Tamsin and Kenzi sit whenever the three of them talk about everything and anything. She also bought a small center table to go along with the couch.
She sits on the edge of her bed and switched off the lamp. She sees her phone lit up and is surprised that there were unopened text messages. Is it Lauren again? She quickly looks at it and chuckles when she was right. She can't help but laugh at every joke she reads. She really thinks the jokes are funny, how can she not laugh at them? She suddenly became serious and thinks about the sender. "Lauren... Lauren..." she utters. "Now I finally know your name... now I won't stop saying it." She lays down on her bed and hugs a pillow. Suddenly, she thinks of a better way to end her day. She opens her phone and texts hurriedly. She smiles and wishes that whenever the receiver read it, it will put a smile into her face. Because just thinking of her makes her heart flutter and her breath hitch.
She sighs. As darkness and silence engulfs her room, she finally surrenders to sleep and closes her pretty brown eyes.
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New York, NY
Stephen Doherty is a proud man. He had achieved so much in his life. He was a former NYPD detective, was a decorated one. He is faithful husband to his wife and a proud father of his three kids. But life sometimes will throw you a curveball and you just need to deal with it. One night while on a case, a tip came down to the station. Their main suspect was seen loitering in one of the busiest streets in New York, between Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street where apparently, one of the victims was seen murdered in front of a Bank of America ATM machine. As one of the lead detectives, he was quick to get on his feet and drive to the location.
It was one week away from Christmas and the city was the busiest at time of the year. Traffic jams at every street, people walking around the stores having a great time, looking at the historical buildings; experiencing New York at this time was either magical or disastrous. If you ask the former detective, it was the latter. That's why even he was assigned to the station at the very heart of the city, he chose to live in far side of Brooklyn.
He was already near the Madison Square Park when suddenly a speeding Ford truck rammed into his car. He lost control of the steering wheel while the car was pushed onto a wall. His side of the car took the brunt of the hit and he was unconscious when the EMTs pulled him from his car. His doctor called it a miracle when he woke up after a month from his coma. He actually wished that he died instead because when the doctor told him about his injuries, he nearly fainted. His legs suffered the most and needed 6 months of physical therapy. He should be thankful that he had lived but when he was forced to retire from NYPD, he was devastated. A long list of statements from the hospital, doctors and others who provided care when he was still recuperating from his injuries sent his wife and children into agony. The money NYPD gave him due to his retirement was not enough to cover the charges. Thankfully, a monthly stipend was given to him but this only covered their monthly expenses of their household.
After all what happened, he was still a proud man so he overcame his bad luck and started a private detective company. One day, he received a call from an anonymous woman. He was told to meet her in a plush hotel in New York. Initially, he was not convinced to meet her but when she told him the amount of money that she's willing to give to him for just meeting her, he relented. He was told to come into a specific address and a car will be there to pick him up. Two men in black came with a Mercedes Benz sedan. He was escorted to the car and was immediately blindfolded once seated in the car. He was told not to speak. The cloak and dagger approach to all of these was making havoc to his psyche. He was about to make a noise when the car suddenly stopped. He was dragged out from the car and made to stand straight. A warning was whispered into his ear and felt a gun was pointed to his side. He decided to just go with the flow and let the men drag him to whenever they were going.
His instincts told him that they entered an elevator. His gut rewarded him when he felt the room he entered a moment ago went up and up. He heard the sound of elevator doors opening up and was again dragged by the two men. After a while, they entered a room. He was shoved into a chair. He thought the blindfold will be removed but when a woman spoke, he knew it would futile to wish that it will be. He remembered the voice of the woman he first spoke with over the phone. It was a soothing voice. The more he heard the woman speak, the more he learned to trust the person behind the voice.
He was asked if he wanted to work for her. As this time of his life, he just can't refuse any thing as he was still paying some of his debts. He reluctantly agreed even though he still don't know what the job was. He was told that he should answer her phone calls every time she calls him. The calls will be around the clock. It can be 3 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon, it won't matter. The most important thing was it should be answered or else the business deal will be terminated. He agreed with the terms and conditions of the job given to him mainly because a lot of money was part of it. He was willing to swallow his pride for it as long as the money keeps pouring in.
It was a month ago when he was 'kidnapped' by the two men when he received the first phone call. He was told that a woman will sought his help. He was to accept that job whatever it was. His employer told him that all information about the case should be passed on to her but he should not tell the woman that someone was keeping tabs on the case. He was incredulous at first but he can't do anything but to obey blindly. He needed the money and needed it badly.
He is getting ready to sleep when his phone rings. He hears the ring tone he assigned for his 'employer'. He quickly answers so his wife won't be awaken.
"Hello?" He answers.
"Hello Stephen. How do you do?" The voice utters.
"I'm fine Madam." He keeps his answers short. The first time was a disaster. He wanted to impress his 'employer' and gave her a rousing greeting when she interrupted him and told him to just listen.
"Good. Now, did you already contact Bo?"
"Yes Madam. We already corresponded through email."
"What was her response?"
"Positive Madam. I will be seeing her in 2 weeks in New Haven."
"Good. I will be calling again before you see her. Your compensation will be transferred to your bank first thing on Monday morning."
"Thank you Madam."
"Good morning Stephen."
She already hanged up when he started to say goodbye. The call was shorter than the last one. He starts to notice the lilt of his 'employer's' voice whenever she mentioned the name Bo. It was subtle but it's there. As a former detective, he can't help but to guess the age of his 'employer'. Her voice seemed to be mature enough for her to be in her early 40's but there's something youthful in it so he may be wrong.
He wants to ruminate more on her 'employer's' identity and age but he is very sleepy so he walks down to the master bedroom and lays down immediately. He closes his eyes and succumbs to a silent slumber.
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Westville, New Haven
Lauren wakes up with a start. She slowly sits up and leans her back into the headboard. What happened? All she can remember is before she woke up someone was calling her name twice. The first voice was Nadia's. But the second was Bo's. The former was a plea while the latter was a call of longing. She is confused. She breathes slowly. I am probably waking from REM sleep and my paralyzed muscle suddenly came to life rather slowly. But the voices, they were clear and evocative. I just need to take a shower and start my day.
She took a shower and changed her clothes. She sits on the edge of her bed and stares at a space on the wall. She sighes and decides to do something that she always do when her mind is in chaos. She walks towards to her office and reaches out for her violin case. Hers was a gift from her grandparents, Margaret and Terrence Lewis, her father's parents. They were the ones who encouraged her to learn how to play the violin. She started to play it at the tender age of five. She was reluctant at first but when she learned a few songs, she was enthralled. Since she has a steep learning curve, she was playing concertos after a year. Two of her favorites are Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto and Bach's Chaconne. But today, she thinks of playing The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams. It was inspired by a poem of the same name written by one George Meredith, which tells the tale of a skylark singing an impossibly beautiful, almost heavenly, song. Lauren feels she need to play this piece in order to go through the day.
She opens the case and stares at her Stravidarius. It is a rare piece and she doesn't play it much. Her grandparents reportedly acquired it through various channels but she's not privy with the story. Perhaps one day she will ask them about it. There were only 650 original Stravidari instruments that survived throughout the ages and that includes 512 violins. They gave it to her when she had her last recital. She also has a Stentor. It was another gift but this time, it was given by her parents. It was given to her when she had her first recital.
She picks the violin and brings it to her neck. She grips the bow and starts playing open strings from the top and bottom string. When she is satisfied with what she heard, she starts playing The Lark Ascending as she closes her eyes.
Her body sways with the vibrato that is coming and going, with complete freedom and in the most unexpected places. Playing the violin is like a cleansing of the soul and clearing of the mind. It is always like that to her. When she finished, her eyes are still closed and is breathing deeply. She wants to play another piece when she hears her stomach growl. It is time to eat breakfast.
Lauren Lewis is always a morning person. This is mainly because breakfast is her favorite meal of the day. She puts back her Stravidarius and locks it in the case. She comes out of her office and checks herself in the mirror while she fixes her hair up. She goes down to the kitchen and starts thinking about what to cook for breakfast.
When she was still a child, she was always looking forward to what her Nana Lupe cooked for breakfast. She was only four years old when she and her twin brother Vincent met their nanny, Guadalupe Gomez. She came from Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. She was hired mainly to take care of the twins but when Oliver and Eleanor Lewis found out that Guadalupe Gomez was a great cook, they also hired her to cook for the whole family.
Nana Lupe was a student of life, so she said. And she always wanted to cook so when she got her high school diploma, instead of marrying her childhood sweetheart, she told her parents that she wanted to go around the world and learn how to cook every country's cuisine. She said Mexican cuisine is one of the most delicious food around the world but it was not the only one. She heard that French and Italian cuisine were famous and delicious too so she wanted to know more. She wanted to broaden her horizons. Her parents were reluctant at first because she was only 18 years old at that time. But she persevered and got her parents' approval. She was a good and obedient child her parents said so they let her go.
She went to France and Italy and eventually to Spain, England and Greece. She was a trailblazer, learning all things about cooking as much as she could. She also went to India, Japan and Southeast Asia. Finally, she went to South America and after ten long years, she eventually got back to Mexico. Two years after that, she applied for a US visa and was approved. She eventually met her husband, Ricardo Garcia, a farmer from California. It was love at first, she said. When they saw each other for the first time, they were already comfortable with each other and shared each other's dreams. She wanted to have her own restaurant while he wanted to have his own farm. Someday, they both said. They knew they have to work from scratch. And because of their shared dreams and thoughts, they fell in love deeper and after a year, they got married.
The couple lived in San Diego, where Ricardo's family had been living for decades. When they got settled, Guadalupe searched for work as a cook. But she failed to get a job immediately. Restaurants in their area wanted their cooks to be educated in school. One of the restaurant owners told her that she can be hired but she needed to start from the lowest job – washing the dishes. She refused and had a talk with her husband. They decided that she needed to start from something in order to start the ball rolling and she thought that being a nanny was a nicer job than washing the dishes in a restaurant. So she searched and searched until one day, her husband told her that a young couple from Palos Verdes Estates wanted to hire a nanny. One of his farmer friends told him about it and said that the family owned a couple of restaurants. Once she heard about the restaurants, she told him that she will apply for the job.
So as the story went, she was hired. When she was left with the children, she quickly went to the kitchen and perused the pantry and refrigerator. She cooked Mexican and Italian dishes for them to eat. She made chicken fajita quesadilla, chicken chilaquiles and carbonara.
Lauren vividly remembered that day. She saw warm and kind eyes. And the food she cooked were all delicious. Since Lauren was innately curious, even though she's only four that time, she asked her Nana Lupe how she cooked all of those food. Her Nana just laughed and said that she will teach Lauren as she gets older. So when she was six years old, Nana Lupe taught her how to roll and knead dough and make fresh pasta sheets, crack eggs into bowls and make omelets, use measuring cups and spoons accurately and all other things a kid of her age can do in the kitchen. Her first dish was a cheese omelet with vegetables. Her parents and brother got to eat it and they said it was delicious. So whenever she finished her assignments and other school related projects and extra-curricular activities, she was in the kitchen with her Nana Lupe.
So now, she is wide awake and cracking some eggs. She feels nostalgic, the need to remake her first omelet intensifies. After this, she's planning to bake pies. But first she needs to check if she has the ingredients for the pies. Then she remembers that last night, she should have been in a supermarket but fate had other plans for her. Fate? When did she start thinking about fate? The answer comes immediately. It was last night, when she met Bo for the second time. She shakes her head. I need not to think about her at this time because if I'll start, I won't be finishing anything today. She can't help but smile slightly when she thinks of Bo.
While she is smiling, she grates some cheese and chops some vegetables. She whisks the eggs, added some milk, salt and pepper and fires up the stove into low heat. She adds a chunk of unsalted butter into the pan and let it melt. She then adds the vegetables and let them absorb the butter. She then preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. She finally adds the egg mixture and let it cook. She uses a spatula to check if the omelet is slightly cooked and transfers it to the oven. She bakes it in 15 minutes. While waiting for the omelet, she toasts some bread. When it is done, she cuts ¼ part of the omelet and put it into a plate with the toasted bread. She pours herself a glass of orange juice.
She wanted to wait for Vex and Ciara but she is already hungry so she goes ahead and eats her breakfast. She eats it while looking outside the window. In this part of the kitchen, she can see their garden. The garden needs an overhaul. She thought of hiring a landscaper but she doesn't have the time to search for one. She needs to seek help from Vex if he know someone who do landscaping in New Haven.
She finishes her breakfast but still no Vex and Ciara so she moves to the pantry and checks if she has enough flour, eggs, milk and other ingredients she needs for the pies. When she is sure that she has enough ingredients, she starts to gather them. She plans on baking cinnamon crumble apple and pumpkin custard pies.
It is that moment when she hears noises coming from the stairs. Finally they are awake.
"Good morning Lo." Vex announces his presence.
"Good morning Vex. Where's Ciara?"
"She is in the living room and turning the television on. She wants to know if the news of Nadia's assault is already being reported in the local channel."
"Oh okay." Lauren remembers her dream where she heard Nadia and Bo calling her name. "Why don't you prepare your breakfast first then we go and watch the news? I'll prepare a plate for Ciara but you have to toast your own bread."
"What did you cook for breakfast?"
"Just a cheese and vegetable omelet."
"Perfect. Ciara will call us as soon as she sees something about Nadia. I'll also make coffee."
They go to the kitchen and prepare Vex's and Ciara's breakfast. Lauren pours another orange juice for herself.
"How's your head? Is it still throbbing when you woke up this morning?" Vex asks Lauren.
"No, it was already gone when I woke up. Thank you for taking care of me. How about you? Are you okay?"
"It's just a mild headache. Nothing to worry about. And you don't need to thank me for taking care of you, you know that." He winks. He is about to tell her about the drunken jokes and the call to Bo when Ciara shouts from the living room.
"Vex, Lauren the news about Nadia is on our local channel. Get in here!"
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Author's Note: Please read and review. I'm on Twitter. And you should search the The Lark Ascending (in violin, of course!) in YouTube. It was amazing. You will be inspired.
Twitter Name: WonderChaser