3D: The Morning After

Aubrey rolled over to greet her husband only to find a dent in the mattress where his body used to be. He was an early riser, and she knew this. But, a tiny pang of disappointment still hit her heart. She threw her legs over the side of the bed with a sigh and put on her gown to find him.

He sat at the table in front of a large bowl of fruit and a teakettle. She wasn’t much of a tea person but appreciated the gesture.

“Good morning,” he said with a mouthful of fruit parfait, gesturing toward the kitchen.

She sauntered into the kitchen and found another bowl waiting for her. “Did you make this?”

He almost choked when he laughed. “No. I hired a chef to bring us meals throughout the day so you won’t have to cook.”

“Oh! How thoughtful. You know I don’t mind, though, right?”

The smile slipped off his face. “Well…you’re at the restaurant all day every day … I thought you’d appreciate a break.”

While she loved the heart behind the intent, it confused her. He went to restaurants all the time. He never noticed the owners running around checking on everyone? Did he really think she slaved over a hot stove all day? Like the lesson she learned with Aleah, that was not a fight worth picking because, honestly, she didn’t know what he did all day either. 

She flashed a quick smile. “Of course. Thanks, Julio.”

“It’s authentic Greek yogurt,” he said with pride. “And fresh berries from his own garden.”

“It’s really good,” she said.

Aubrey had hoped to escape the rainy summer in Greece, but alas, it followed them. Not just a brief shower but a full on torrent. Good thing the agenda had one item on it: meet the family at the hotel to say goodbye and see them off. After they left, she planned to take refuge in their beautiful little palace by the sea and relax. Or, try to. She didn’t do well with idleness but owed it to herself and Julio to try. Besides, she earned the break. Replays from last night would pass the time and make for a fun afternoon. Julio looked at her like a child expecting another scoop of ice cream; he definitely looked forward to an encore or three.

After breakfast, she logged on her email to see if she had a message from Keegan. She told him to email her if something urgent happened. Ever since Malakai quit, fewer issues came up and the restaurant’s service improved. The timing sucked, but Keegan was so gracious to step up and volunteer to train the new person. He was a great friend and stellar employee. Aubrey’s concerns about being gone for so long caused her a great deal of stress on top of the wedding stress. But, leaving the restaurant in Keegan’s very capable hands soothed her. Still, she must remain in the loop. As soon as the page loaded, his name in bold sat on top of a pile of messages.

She groaned, closed one eye and clicked. “Oh. My. Goodness. Ugh!”

“What’s the matter?”

“Aleah!”

Julio chuckled. “What’d she do now?”

Did he really think the trouble with her employees was funny? “Keegan said he overheard her talking about retirement!”

“Well … That’s great, right?”

“No! I’m supposed to be hiring people for my new restaurant not looking for replacements at my current one!”

“That’s the business, though. Right? A revolving door?”

She sighed. “I guess. The timing is just horrible. I was hoping to hire more experienced people for the new restaurant so it could be higher quality from day one, but now I need an experienced host for both! It’s hard enough finding people with experience period!”

Julio placed his arm on her shoulder. “I understand. Why don’t you forget about it until you get home? We’re on vacation. I don’t want you to be stressed. You can’t do anything about it anyway.”

“You’re right. We have to meet my family soon anyway. I’m gonna go take a bath.”

---

The somber mood between the family lifted slightly at the sight of the happy young couple conversing in the lobby. Julio’s baby face and boyish body had not changed, but that look in his eye … He was a man now.

That thirst all men were born with, Jonathan’s baby girl quenched it. He pushed that thought out of his mind, but he was happy for the boy young man. Aubrey too. She also had that look in her eye. Even her posture was different; It was more like her sister’s. They had a good night. He thought to congratulate them jokingly, but she and Skyla would disown him.

Maya began the series of goodbyes. She had a level of detachment Jonathan wished he could have. Though they were close growing up, they always led separate lives. Sadness did not exist between them like it did for him and Skyla. This period of their lives was exciting to them, and they looked forward to celebrating each other.

Oliver was a smart kid. Top of his class. He zipped through homework like nobody’s business. Mentally, however, he was still very young. Jonathan expected him to behave negatively throughout the entire engagement. But, he shared Aubrey’s excitement. If his favorite big sister was happy, he was happy. He didn’t fully understand what it would mean, however. When they arrived home without her, it would hit him like a ton of bricks.

Ranveer went to the bathroom, and Skyla stood off to the side probably gathering the courage to say goodbye, so Jonathan took his moment. What did one say to a child leaving home? Call us if you need anything? No. She had a rich husband for that now. Don’t forget to brush your teeth?

“Hey, kid.”

She smiled bashfully.

“I love you. And … I’ll see you soon, ok?”

She fell into his arms. “I love you too, Daddy.”

Skyla tip toed over with droopy eyes and a quivering lip. Knowing she’d be sad, he didn’t expect her to be so downcast.

“Mom … Please don’t make me cry.”

Skyla quickly fixed her face and threw on the most amazing smile. “I wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing.”

Aubrey laughed. “Ok, that was too much. But, thanks.”

Skyla threw her arms around her baby. “You’ll call when you’re back, right?”

“Of course. We’ll see each other soon. I promise.”

Ranveer came back and saved the tender moment from reaching sappy status. “Heeey, sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to grab a quick hug.”

Skyla composed herself again and stepped out of the way. “No, of course. Please. I should go find where Oliver ran off to.”

“I’m so happy for you guys,” he said.

“Don’t make me wait forever to dance at my sister’s wedding, ok?”

He chuckled. “Don’t worry. It’ll be soon.”

They spoke about this phantom wedding like it was common knowledge. Jonathan knew they were hopelessly in love and destined to be together, but that was the first he’d heard of Ranveer’s intent; It warmed his heart to hear. He used to question why a proposal hadn’t happened yet, but Ranveer’s words gave him the answer. It never occurred to him because of his Pruett privilege. When he wanted to propose to Skyla, he got a ring and did it. So did Julio. But, Ranveer was just a guy. He didn’t have access to hundreds of thousands of dollars and had to work and save money for a ring. Though that was the plight of most men, it made Ranveer so much more admirable. Waiting to do something he wanted so badly … Well, until Jonathan lost his money, that was a foreign concept. It surely developed many positive traits in Ranveer. Maya was one lucky girl.