Adria wasn't sure what to expect when she stood outside of Seth's home. He had waited three weeks before contacting her. Charlotte had been angry and accused her of not trying hard enough. Suddenly out of the blue, he had started texting one night.

She raised her hand and knocked on the door. For some reason they had agreed on baking together. He had asked her to come to his house to help him make raspberry pie for his mother. The door opened and he stood there with that sweet smile of his. A smile that made her smile back instantly.

"Your baker has arrived," she said.
"Come in," he chuckled.

She stepped inside and got out of her shoes. She followed him to the kitchen where he already had all the ingredients waiting.

"So I got a confession to make," he said.
"Uh-oh," she said. "That sounds serious."
"I actually do know how to bake. There's a reason my mother asked me to make this cake. But I figured we could make a pie each and then eat yours. Or at least as much of it as we can stuff ourselves with," he said.
"What if mine is better than yours?" She asked.
"Then I'll be one lucky man," he winked. "And very happy."

He handed her a bowl and placed one in front of himself as well. They started baking while talking about anything they could think of. When the pies were finally in the oven, they sat down at the kitchen table with a class of water each.

"Did you catch up with everything at work?" She asked.
"Yes, finally," he said. "I was so scared you would give me the cold shoulder. I would have deserved it after having ghosted you for three weeks."
"No, I understand. You're under a lot of pressure," she said.
"Truth be told, I tried texting and calling so many times but always decided against it. I felt like I was somehow cheating on Becky if I reached out to you," he said.
"So what changed?" She asked.
"Time, I guess. I just needed some time to wrap my head around that it was okay to reach out to someone else," he said.
"Like I said last time, we're friends. No dating. Just two friends hanging out together. You shouldn't date anyone until you're 100% ready for it," she said.

He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze.

"It's so nice to have someone who understands," he said.
"I lost a boyfriend once so I understand," she said.
"You did?" He asked.
"When I was 18. He was my first boyfriend. We weren't even together for that long but it still hurt," she said.
"What happened?" He asked.
"We went to a party and someone brought heroin. He wanted to try it and I didn't. He called me a cunt and I left the party telling him to call me when he got his head back on straight. He never called. He died that night. He ODed," she said.
"I'm sorry," he said.

She took a sip of her water and smiled at him.

"It's okay. Like I said, we weren't together for long. Only 6 months. We weren't living together or anything. It wasn't like you and Becky. You built a life together inside these walls," she said.
"I had been thinking about moving but I don't know. I owned the house before I met her. It's my home. It's hard when I can see her in every room though. It gets easier everyday but sometimes I get triggered by something. A sound or a smell. It can be anything really. And suddenly it's like I see her sitting on the couch or standing by the stove," he said.

He cleared his throat and emptied half of his glass of water. He didn't want to cry. He knew she would understand if he did but he felt like he had already cried enough over his loss.

"You don't have to make a decision now. Take all the time in the world. Maybe a year from now you know if you wanna stay or move. There's no recipe to follow when it comes to heartbreak and loss. You gotta work through it your own way at your own pace," she said.
"You should be a therapist," he chuckled.
"Sometimes it feels like I am with the things people tell me at work," she said.
"What do you do for a living?" He asked.
"I'm a tattoo artist," she answered.
"Really? That's cool," he said. "And that explains the sleeves."

He pointed at the tattoos on her arms. She chuckled in return.

"You should see the rest of my body then," she said.
"Gladly," he smirked.
"Hey, what happened to no dating?" She asked.
"I'm not dating. I'm flirting. And what if a rebound is my way of moving forward?" He said.
"I'm this close to leaving," she laughed. "If my pie is crap, I'm out of here."

He laughed and stood up to check on the pies. He opened the oven and took them out.

"Just gotta let it cool down first," he said.

He sat back down and drank the rest of his water. She still had a smile on her face that made him smile back.

"You're actually the first woman here since her passing," he said.
"I feel honored," she said.
"I haven't even let my mother visit yet. I go to her place," he said.
"Maybe it's time to invite her over again," she said.
"What do you think the pie is for? She's coming tomorrow along with my brother," he said.
"Let me know how it goes," she said.

He looked surprised for a second and then smiled again.

"I will," he said. "I'll text you tomorrow night after I've processed the visit."
"I'll be waiting by my phone," she said.
"Already waiting for me?" He smirked.
"You might be worth the wait," she smirked back.

He broke out in laughter. She was just so easy and funny to be around.

"I really like you," he said.
"And I like you," she said.
"Would you be up for a game night?" He asked.
"That depends on what we're playing," she said.
"It variates. The person hosting gets to decide. I'm hosting next month and I'd like for you to attend. It's just me and some of my friends. Not a lot of people. I understand if you don't want to but the invitation will stand," he said.
"As long as I don't have to bake for everyone," she said.
"I'm planning on ordering pizza," he said.
"Pineapple on mine, please," she said.
"So you'll come?" He asked.

His eyes looked so hopeful. She couldn't turn him down. He clearly wanted her there, and maybe he needed a new friend badly.

"Let me know the date and time, and I'll be here," she said.
"Great," he said. "Let's try the pie."

He stood up and cut two slices of the pie she had made. He handed her a plate and a fork before sitting down with his own slice. They both dug in at the same time.

"Oh my god, it's amazing," he said. "I'm pretty sure it's better than mine."
"I think they taste about the same. We used the same recipe and they baked at the same time," she said.
"I'm trying to give you a win here," he chuckled.
"And I suck at taking compliments," she laughed. "Alright, thank you, Seth. I appreciate the kind words."