Valentine's Recipe for Love

A Whisper

♡ Megan ♡

The apartment was dark when I stepped inside, and the silence wrapped around me like a heavy blanket. I had known Brendan wouldn’t be home, but a small part of me had still hoped to see his shoes by the door, his jacket tossed carelessly over the armchair. Instead, everything was exactly as I had left it earlier – neat, tidy, and painfully empty.

“Luna, I’m home,” I called out softly as I kicked off my heels. A soft meow echoed from the kitchen, followed by the gentle patter of paws on the hardwood floor. Moments later, my fluffy gray cat appeared, her green eyes wide and curious. “Hey, baby girl,” I greeted her as I bent down to scoop her up. I couldn’t say my apartment was empty. No, I still had my baby girl – Luna. I buried my face in her fur, and she immediately started to purr. I carefully set her down and smiled. “At least you are always here for me, huh?”

“Meeooww!” came her response. Luna followed me as I made my way into the kitchen. She jumped up onto the counter as I grabbed a tin of her food from the top cupboard. She sat patiently as she watched me. I filled her food bowl before I set it in front of her. As Luna happily crunched away at her dinner, I leaned against the counter and, of course, my thoughts drifted to the evening I had just had. Dinner with Shane had been unexpected. Unexpected but absolutely wonderful. For the first time in what felt like forever, I had felt seen. Heard. And genuinely happy. But the moment I had stepped outside of Bella Notte, reality had hit me. Hard. I had a boyfriend. Even though that was temporary until I could break up with him face to face. Still, Shane had ignited something within me. He was right. I did deserve better. I would argue that he did too, but I couldn’t since I didn’t really know them. Not that I knew much about Shane either. With a loud sigh, I grabbed the milk carton from the fridge and poured some into Luna’s milk bowl. As I put the milk away, I grabbed a bottle of water before I made my way to the living room. I sank down onto the couch and pulled my favorite blanket over my lap. Just as I was about to turn on the TV, my phone went off. For a moment, I froze. No, it couldn’t be Shane. He didn’t have my number. It wasn’t Brendan either. Instead, it was Josh, and I smiled as I opened my message thread with him.

Josh: I heard you had dinner with a stranger. Rockland is buzzing with gossip!

I rolled my eyes as I typed out a reply.

Megan: Oh, please. No one even noticed.

Josh: You underestimate this town, Meg. Now…give me the tea. I want to know everything.

I hesitated as I tried to figure out how to explain what had happened. I would see him in the morning, so I could tell him everything then. After all, Shane was a stranger to me.

Megan: Brendan stood me up. You know how popular that place is and…I ended up having dinner with someone who was in the same boat as me.

Josh: Fucker, but I want to know about your dinner companion.

I chuckled as I read his reply. I wasn’t going to entertain him now. I needed to sort through the evening myself so that is exactly what I did. I thought about our conversations. The laughter. The jokes and teasing. It had all seemed so effortless and easy with Shane. I couldn’t stop thinking about his laugh, his smile, and the way he had said my name – as if I was someone special to him.

“Stop it, Megan. He is taken, and so are you,” I scolded myself aloud. Except my relationship with Brendan felt more like an obligation than a romance these days. I couldn’t even remember the last time he’d made me feel special, the way Shane had done without even trying. Luna hopped up onto the couch and stretched out on my lap. I absently ran my fingers through her fur as I looked down at her. “I’m crazy, right?” I asked her.

“Meow,” came her response and I sighed softly. The clock chimed softly, marking the late hour. Still, there was no sign of Brendan. No text, no call, nothing. This wasn’t new. Brendan often stayed late at work or went out with friends without telling me. He would even crash on their couch if he deemed it too late. But tonight felt different. Tonight, I realized I wasn’t angry. I was just done. I grabbed my phone again and opened our last conversation.

Brendan: s**t, I’m sorry. Something came up. I’ll see you tomorrow.

I bit my lip, my fingers hovered over the screen. Part of me wanted to call him, to demand an explanation. But another part of me knew it wouldn’t change anything. Brendan wouldn’t apologize. He would just brush it off, like he always did. I considered my options, but ultimately, I still wanted to talk to him face to face. Our relationship was over. I was done.

“Meow,”

“Hmm? Oh yes, you are right,” I remarked conversationally as I set my phone aside and continued to pet her softly. “It’s time to stop waiting for someone who is never going to show up,” eventually, I stood up and headed to my bedroom to get ready for bed. I ignored all the signs of my so-called boyfriend as I undressed and slipped into a pair of well-worn pajamas. I brushed my teeth, brushed out my hair, and washed off the make-up. And as I pulled back the covers and climbed into bed, I couldn’t help but think about Shane. Again. I had to be honest with myself. I was chubby. He was fit and muscular. I owed a bakery. He worked as a fitness instructor. I was an introvert, and I preferred the indoors. He enjoyed going on hikes and camping. We were complete opposites in every way. Our paths would never have crossed. Still, I couldn’t help but feel like maybe it was fate that had brought us together. After all, what were the chances?