Chapter 12 : Reaffirmations

Ella:

As soon as I get up, I flip my phone out and call Joe, “ Baby how are you doing?”

“Ahhhh yeah, Good morning hmmm Ella, I am feeling much better now” he sounded all groggy, maybe it was the effect of the medications.

“I'm so worried, I want to see you, Shall I come over to your parents’?” I reply standing up ready to get dressed and out.

“No, no don’t, I'll meet you at Leonard’s cafe for brunch!!!” He insisted.

I wore a denim jacket over a bright yellow dress I bought on sale, tamed my wild curls, applied lip-gloss over my soft pink lips and slipped into my boots.

I was about to head out of the door when Mary popped in the living room. “Where do you think you’re going?” she quizzed.

“Mary, Joe suffered an epileptic attack last night and was admitted to the hospital. I am going to see him.” I replied.

“Alright but be back in an hour, there’s work to be done!” she commanded.

The snow seemed to have melted away with the sun shining bright as ever. I hailed a cab and reached the cafe to find Joe sitting with a bunch of flowers. I rushed straight into his arms and hugged him for what seemed like eternity.

I planted a lingering kiss on his lips leaving him surprised. “If i knew you could kiss like that Ella Miller I would be ready to have seizures everyday” he said winking at me.

“Please don’t say that, I was really worried but now if one looks at you, they’d guess you’re hungover rather than being discharged from a hospital” I laughed looking at his dishevelled hair and dark circles under his eyes.

“By the way what really happened yesterday?” I asked, wanting to know every single detail.

“So I had gone to a store to get you something that you really wanted for our anniversary, and as I was coming out of the store to catch a cab, I started feeling uneasy. The next thing I know, I woke up in the hospital :( “

I repeat the first line in my head again. Something I really wanted for our anniversary, Oh my god! Is he planning to propose to me!!!??

I nuzzled his hair gently, “Awww my poor baby, now that this incident is behind us, we can go about planning our anniversary, I was thinking about having dinner at the same place where we had our first date!”!

“Done, I shall pick you up at 7 pm ” he smiled, flashing his perfectly aligned teeth.

“Joe, what were you planning for our anniversary?” I lowered my eyelids and blushed coyly.

“If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise anymore” he slanted his mouth into a sly smile. His sparkling eyes conveyed what he was trying to hide. Finally I find my light at the end of what has been the longest darkest tunnel of my life. OMG, OMG, I could barely contain my excitement!!!

We finish our brunch, kiss each other goodbye’s and I go home to find Bridget bragging about how much fun she had at her company’s Christmas party as usual.

“and he came over to us and introduced himself. All throughout the night, I could feel his eyes on me. I purposely led him under the mistletoe so we could kiss but he politely declined. If we weren’t being so closely surveilled, I am sure he would have kissed me” she spoke animatedly with her hands.

“He smells like some exotic rain forest, dressed to impress. We have this wild masquerade bash on New Year’s at the hottest bar in New York and I know what I’m going to wear to tantalize his senses.”

She bangs her hands on the table determined to snatch him, “People around him say that he is quite the playboy, toys around with his prey before going for the kill but Momma, I will be the one who finally nails this lion!