Lily’s POV

The week had gone by and it was already a Saturday. I had occupied my morning with doing random cleaning around the house. It might sound strange to some people that I do chores myself even when I was wealthy enough to hire a housekeeper.

I did though, once when I moved out of my parents place, nonetheless my housekeeper always ended up with little or no chores to do hence I always did stuff around the house. At some point I had to let her go and continued to handle things.

Over the years, I had come to find the act of dusting, washing, vacuuming, wiping and moping therapeutic. It was the little time I had to get immersed in my thoughts, act goofy, play some music and dance to my heart’s content.

The noise of my ringtone reached me as I stepped foot into my room. The clock on the wall indicated it was past 4pm and I had just come out of the shower wrapped in a towel, my body still damp.

“Singing the shower again?” Ciara by best friend asked the moment I picked my phone and connected the call.

“You know it,” I grinned, not bothering to deny it.

“I still can't believe that's how you spend your weekend,” she scoffed and though I couldn't see her, I knew she said it while rolling her eyes.

“Don’t let your brown eyes get lost in your head,” I teased her like I always do.

“Ain’t no way it's getting lost girl,” she argued, her accent creeping in.

“I hear you,” I chuckled as I strolled to my closet to pick out a simple outfit.

“Now back to you,” she uttered, her voice echoing off the white painted walls of my room hence I had put the call on speaker.

“What's back to me?” I asked, only to regret it seconds later hence it clicked in my head what she was driving at.

“The fact you spend your Saturday like a woman in her 70’s,” she blurted and I could sense the distaste in her tone.

“Well I've always been told I’m an oldie at heart,” I shrugged, even if she couldn't see me, my attention at the various attires hung in my wardrobe. “I remember you telling me that when we met at that internship.”

“Yeah but now I wish I hadn't said that,” she sighed and I had no time to hold in my laugh as I selected loose-fitting jeans and a pink blouse.

“Why? Because I now use it as a defense for my weird ways?” I questioned in a smile.

“Thank heavens you know you do,” she sighed for the second time.

“Look who’s sighing like an oldie now?” I ended my sentence like a question.

“You are the one doing this to me,” she whined. “I worry for you too much that I loose a year every time I talk to you.”

“If that were true you’d be dead by now according to my calculations,” I murmured in a frown, my brain already working the numbers in my head.

“It was a metaphor Lily, or whatever they call it,” she groaned. “You don't always have to use that head of yours to calculate every single thing.”

“Well God gave me a brain for a reason,” I defended as I dropped the clothes on the bed, got my lotion and began applying it on my skin.

“I know but do you have to use it in cases like these?” She interrogated, frustration entering her voice.

“Well if I had used it when I was with Caden I wouldn't have been dumped like that,” I said, a hint of sadness in my tone as I felt a hand squeeze my heart, a series of instances I should have picked up on rushing through my mind.

“Girl that ain't your fault,” she declared, words firm. “It wouldn't have hurt less if you discovered it earlier.

“How’d you know that?” I queried as I returned the lotion to its spot and plopped the towel on the bed, starting to get dressed.

“Same way you wouldn't know which is better, finding out earlier or finding out when you did,” she elaborated. I opened my mouth to say something however I shut it after a few seconds. “See? I’m right.”

“Yeah yeah, let’s all believe that,” I smiled, feeling the sadness dissolve from my chest.

“Don't tell me Caden is the reason you are living the way you do?” She inquired as I put on my blouse, it had a deep V that showed my collarbone.

“Darling, he is the reason I didn't get to live the way I do now,” I scoffed, whirling to face the mirror as I snatched my hairband from the vanity table and hauled my curls into a ponytail, it was a risky move but I was not ready to let it flow over my shoulders and back.

“So you mean it is right to do chores on a Saturday morning, have a burger and soda for breakfast and go for coffee and snacks in the early evening?” She asked, naming my Saturday routine.

“Don’t forget to add the order pizza for dinner part,” I finished with a grin, after putting on lip gloss and smacked my lips.

“Girl, women your age spend their Saturday attending events, dates and even go to clubs to have fun,” she sighed again and I let out a silent laugh, crossing my go to black bag over my head and shoulder.

“Each to their own Ciara,” I countered, and picked up my phone from the bed, about to exit my room. “We can't all be the same.”

“True but I just want you to live a little,” she argued, while I gave my reflection a glance in the mirror before walking out and straight into the wide spaced living room.

“Not sipping tea of coffee at 4pm with cookies or scones or whatever.”

“That's how I live baby.” I grabbed my car keys from the glass table which was surrounded by three cushioned chairs, one long enough to serve as a sofa, the other two made for a person only. “Enough about me, how’s your Harry the husband and my goddaughter Jane.”

“Both good,” she answered and I was relieved to have her drift the topic. “Jane’s with my aunt while Harry and I are planning a date tonight.”

“Awwwn that's sweet.” I opened and shut the exit door as I left and got into the elevator. “You both make me so jealous.”

“Which is why I need you to get yourself a man so we can frequent double dates,” she chastised and I rolled my eyes, strolling to my car. I unlocked it and climbed in, turning on the engine. “Heading somewhere?”

“Did you forget?” I asked as I steered the car in the direction that led to the main roads. “Going for my coffee and cookies.”

We talked all the while I drove. 10 minutes later I arrived at the nice cafe. I switched off the ignition, got down and walked into the cafe. Different scents met my nostrils and I couldn't help but smile.

“Lily, are you there?” Ciara questioned through the connection.

“Yeah yeah, just walked into the cafe now,” I informed, trudging to the counter. “I’m about to place my—”

I couldn't finish as whatever I wanted to say vanished from my mind and throat, hence the person standing in front of me turned at the sound of my voice.