Hello, hello!
Wishing everyone a joyous Easter. Hope the day finds you happy, healthy, and surrounded by loved ones.
As always, my best gratitude for your wonderful dedication and support.
Much love,
Alycia
Maple Street's quaint café welcomed Phineas and Isabella. The teenagers' presence was received amongst the scent of baked goods – daily attendance was theirs, as was an escape from high school life. Discussions ranged from platypuses to philosophy.
After purchasing their coffee, Phineas escorted Isabella to the familiar seating arrangement. He hoped to delve into a near routine of happiness.
Such joy, he quickly realized, was nowhere to be found.
The young girl appeared to be deliberating her actions. Confidence had evolved into worry, as bared through her declining eyebrows and fingernails tapping the counter.
"I'm not quite sure how to tell you this, Phin," she offered, "but… Austin thinks I should stop coming here with you."
Silence returned.
"You know, coming here to spend time with you." She was careful with the delivery of her words, wanting to cynically laugh at the image of digging her own grave.
"Why?"
The blatancy of his question was startling. "I guess… I guess he thinks it's threatening his relationship with me."
Isabella, that's totally fine! Austin's your boyfriend now. You should act in accordance to his desires and his desires only.
She needed that. She needed the confirmation to date someone else, to find solace in Phineas' apparent lack of romantic interest – whether she fiercely despised that "someone else's" presence or not.
Greatly as Isabella hoped, her intuition told her otherwise. Phineas' kindness was simply not present when his friendships were in jeopardy. What made these circumstances any different?
"You're not willing to comply, right?" Phineas attempted to conceal the heartache in his voice, a wasted struggle.
"I don't know." Her words balanced on the fine line of desperation and desire. "I really don't know anymore."
Moments passed.
The table soon found itself supporting Phineas' frame, his lips resting a mere inch from her ear.
The ensuing whisper shivered her frame.
"Austin must be unable to empathize with true friendship."
Afraid to meet his glance, Isabella paid regard to the familiar warmth of her hand. It was encompassed by Phineas', whose thumb stroked her palm.
She desperately wanted to smile at his attempts of comfort. Nevertheless, it was without surprise that her jaded line of defense warranted tears instead.