Caleb's POV
As I carried a plate full of pancakes and placed it in the center of the table, I caught myself humming that same marching band tune again that had been playing in my mind earlier.
The pile of pancakes wobbled a little as I set it down, and I eyed for a moment to make sure it doesn't collapse.
Admittedly, I had made too many of these for just two people, but at that time I had been too preoccupied to pay attention to the quantity of the batter.
As I walked back to the kitchen with a spring in my steps, I glanced back towards the bedroom door with a touch of impatience.
What was taking her so long? Granted, it had only been seven minutes since she had disappeared inside, but already I felt restless to have her back in the same room with me again.
As I fetched the pot of coffee and two mugs from a wooden cabinet and carried it out, my shirt caught my eye. It was still hanging off the back of the chair and after a brief moment of hesitation, I decided to put it on.
It was dry enough by now, and if I didn't have Ruth warming my body in better ways, then this shirt will have to fill in as a substitute to create a thin barrier against the temperature.
Just as I finished buttoning up, Ruth stepped out of her room, wrapped in a thick, cherry red robe with long sleeves. It had tassle-like ropes that was securely tied around her waist and ended just above her ankles, giving her ample protection against the cold.
Her hairs were dry now, and she had wrapped them in a loose knot behind her head. Her face looked clean, without a slightest hint of makeup, her cheeks slightly pink, probably from the cold. And somehow, she had never looked more beautiful.
She walked up to the low table in the living room where I had set up the breakfast and eyed the huge pile of pancakes in the center.
"You really made those? For me?" She asked with a bit of awe in her tone.
"Uh, yeah I did. I wanted to wake you with a birthday breakfast, but that obviously happen," I admitted sheepishly.
Truth was, I was only capable to cook certain things and most days I ate at work or grabbed a deli sandwich, instead of spending time in the kitchen.
She smiled, probably remembering how we had spent last 20 minutes and then she frowned.
"You must be freezing. And, why are you walking around barefoot?" She looked down at my bare feet, then her eyes travelled up my suit pant and cotton shirt and her frown deepened.
"Its just uncomfortable wearing shoes all the time. Besides, I don't feel cold easily." I shrugged and gestured for her to take a seat.
"Easily? Its freezing outside. And not so warm in here either."
As she took a seat, I was reminded of another thing.
"What is it?" she looked up curiously at me when I didn't immediately take my seat across from her.
"I have something for you.... Uh, just wait a minute here," I mumbled, then walked up to the kitchen counter again.
I really wasn't flower and cake kind of guy, but considering the fact that Ruth had practically melted into a puddle when she saw those roses, I figured maybe I can make an exception today.
But it didn't make me feel any less awkward as I grabbed the cake and brought it into the living room. I set the box in front of her.
"This is .. Just for your birthday, that is." I huffed and walked over to the other armchair on the opposite side of the rectangular table, eying her in warning as she tried to suppress her smile.
I wasn't sure if she was laughing at my discomfort or the fact that I got her a cake. Maybe it was a combination of both, because God knew I become a mumbling fool when I'm uncomfortable.
At this point, I could only hope that I wasn't red-faced with embarassment as she looked between me and the box a few times, just like she had with roses before raising her brows and shaking her head slowly in wonder.
Wordlessly, she pulled the box closer to her and onto her lap. She opened it and looked inside. It was silent for a moment, but then she looked at me over the rim of the box lid.
"Was it really your idea to get me the cake?" Her voice was neutral enough but I panicked none the less. Did Leo put a greeting card inside?
The one that had a 'To' and 'From' on it? Did he write his name on it with icing? Even though I was thankful to him for bringing me to my senses today, I wouldn't put it past him to set me up like that just for some giggles.
I scratched my neck nervously, and decided to tell the truth and get it over with.
"Well, no. Like you said before, I'm not exactly a romance kind of guy."
"Then what kind of guy are you?" Any other time or asked in any other way, the question would have sounded rude. But the way she tilted her head a little and voiced the question so softly, made it sound more like a get-to-know-you curious rather than a jab.
She seemed like she was genuinely wanted to know me. The real me, beyond all the bravado and fucked-up shit that usually surrounded me like an armour.
And the thought of letting her in, telling her things that I had never dared to confess even to myself was both thrilling and scary as hell.
"There is so much we don't know about each other," she continued, unaware to my inner turmoil.
"In some ways, we know so much about each other, but still, in a more basic way, we are practically strangers."
Her words were soft, and I noted that she used the word, 'we' instead of 'I' or 'you', which meant she wasn't just interested in getting all my secrets out of me, she was also ready to reveal some of hers. But still, her words made me restless.
It was the weirdest thing that on one hand, I was ready to lay my life down at her feet. And yet, on the other hand, I felt unprepared to let her into my life.
"You know me better than most of those who have known me for years, Ruth." And it was the truth. Just not the whole truth.
"Like, how you just guessed that I wasn't the kind of guy who would get you a cake," I tried to lighten the mood, because I didn't want to darken this day by thinking about the shit that was generally my life. Besides, I just didn't feel ready to confess certain things to her yet.
And it worked. She smiled wide and replied, "well, that wasn't very hard to guess."
With that, she turned the box to face me and I saw that it contained a heart -shaped, red velvet cake with a gaudy "I WUV EW" written in thick, white, capital fonts.
And as if that wasn't enough, it was covered in rainbow sprinklers with small, black-and-white fondant hearts scattered all around the words making it look like one of those ridiculous valentine's cakes that they showed on TV shows.
My mouth dropped open in shock, and Ruth laughed at my expression.
"I am going to kill him," I informed her seriously and nodded once as if it was irrevocably decided, and she laughed harder.