Life In Between 4: Valentine

Elisa scanned the bakery display. It was covered in red and white hearts and bakery goods disguised as red and white hearts. Another reminder of the upcoming deadline. She couldn’t put it off much longer or it would be a repeat of last month.

“Can I help you?”

“Yeah, a miel and, um…” she glanced over at the display again. Weren’t there any that weren’t Valentine’s day themed?

“She wants the chocolate cardamon scone.” A familiar voice chirped from behind the counter.

“Jazz!”

Her sister grinned and reached into the bakery case. Elisa had to admit it did look good but –

“A scone?” She remembered their mom’s one attempt at scones, or rocks, as they called them. They’d taken them down to the shore and practiced skipping scones.

“Trust me.” Jazz handed it over and the bemused clerk rang her up.

She moved over to wait for her drink and Jazz ducked around the counter, her apron dusty with sugar and chocolate. Elisa nibbled on the edge of her scone. Buttery cardamon assaulted her taste buds. Wow.

“You made this?” Although it shouldn’t really surprise her how good it was, Jasmine had been baking since before she was old enough to be trusted with the stove. Still, this seemed beyond a normal level of deliciousness.

“All morning.” Jazz grinned, blushing at the implicit praise.

“It’s really really good.”

“I hope so, I’m…” she paused and then leaned in so no one could overhear what they were saying. “The owner asked if I could stay on after graduation.”

“Really?” That was even more impressive than the scone’s taste, but only just. Butter Bakery was the premier bakery in the city. Jazz had been ecstatic to have her internship here and according to her, all her classmates had been jealous. With good reason, Elisa thought, if interning here meant a chance to actually work here.

“Don’t tell mom and dad yet, okay? I want to tell them myself.” Jazz continued. “Oh, but Ev knows.” She nodded over to where Evelyn was watching them chat from a nearby table with her own coffee and scone.

“Cafe Miel,” the barista called and Elisa jumped forward to grab her beverage.

“I won’t tell, but wow congratulations!” Elisa smiled. “That’s awesome.”

“Thanks, I uh… better get back to the kitchen but when Ev said you’d be here any minute and I wanted to say hi.” They hugged gingerly, not from lack of affection so much as trying to avoid getting Elisa’s outfit covered in baked goods.

She then made her way over to her twin. Evelyn’s eyes were sparkling. Uh-oh, what mischief was she up to now?

“So,” Evelyn said as Elisa slid into her chair. “You buy David his Valentine’s day gift?”

“Uhg, not yet.”

“Need me to bail you out again?”

She grimaced. Of course, her sister hadn’t forgotten her panicked text from the bathroom. “It’s not like it’s that was a real anniversary or anything.”

“It was for your engagement, right?”

Elisa looked up surprised, “How did you even know?”

Evelyn raised her eyes as if to claim she was all knowing and then grinned. “Nah, I just remembered it was after Christmas. You made a huge fuss over it and how perfect it was. I was maybe a little jealous at the time.”

“Well, thanks. I showed up at the restaurant and he had a proper gift box and everything. I couldn’t admit I’d forgotten.”

“What he’d get you?”

“A scarf, cashmere.”

“Nice!”

Elisa shrugged. It was pretty, no doubt about that, but something about it felt weird. He’d made such a big deal about it being their anniversary that she was uncomfortable wearing it. She shook her head and dismissed the train of thought.

A change in conversation was needed. “Enough about me. You! Spill. Dad said you have a boyfriend? And why did I hear about this from dad and not you?”

Now it was Evelyn’s turn to look embarrassed and Elisa grinned at her twin’s discomfort. “We’re not serious or anything,” she started to protest.

“Not serious, my ass. You took him to see mom and dad.”

“He wanted to see the island?” Evelyn sounded uncertain. Elisa knew she was on the right track. Her sister was smitten with this mystery man.

“And?”

“He liked it, actually. He’s from Isla Paradiso so I think he missed islands. Although really, I don’t think you can compare the two.”

“Probably not,” Elisa snorted. She tried to think of their rural backwater as a proper replacement for a tropical paradise. Yeah, right.

“He loved grandma’s garden though.”

“He knows flowers?” Elisa was intrigued. Or else he was smart enough to know her sister was obsessed with them.

“Landscaper. He’s doing an interior garden for the Moxy Hotel.”

“The new one that’s going up on Change Street?”

Evelyn nodded.

“That’s supposed to be really fancy. He must be making bank.”

Evelyn tried to brush away the comment, shaking her head. “It’s not serious or anything.”

“Name, age, details? Do I have to drag it all out of you?” Evelyn was cute when she blushed. It had been far too long since she’d got to tease her sister like this. She hadn’t dated seriously since that girl back in high school, Tina?

“Lane Patel, twenty-seven like us. He’s only here for work, it’s temporary.”

“Pictures?”

“Uh…”

Elisa held out her hand, demanding her sister’s phone. That hadn’t been a denial, but an embarrassed hesitation. After a moment, Evelyn dropped her phone into her hand.

“Please tell me you have some NSFW ones in here,” she said grinning as she dug into the menus.

“Elisa!”

“What?” Oh, there most definitely were pictures. She hadn’t thought her sister could turn that shade. Now, where was – there! “Oooh.” The picture loaded onto the screen and she laughed. “You are such geeks. He’s perfect.”

“You’ve seen Lane, now, give it back,” her sister said and tried to snatch the phone from Elisa’s hand. She pulled away and started swiping backward.

“Wait a moment, wow, you take a lot of photo of flowers.”

“It’s my job.”

“I know, but this is your personal phone … oh. Woah.” She looked over at her sister and grinned. “I’m shocked.”

Her sister snatched the phone back and stuffed it in her pocket. She mumbled something too low for Elisa to hear.

“I’m not sure I should see my sister like that.”

Evelyn stuck her tongue out.

“Ewww. You kiss him with that, don’t you,” she teased. This was fun. “How long has this been going on?”

“Just a month.”

“And…?”

“And? I don’t know, ‘lisa, we only just started dating.”

“Ev, I’ve known you my whole life, right?”

“We’re twins.”

“Exactly. So I know you better than anyone and I can say, I’ve never seen you like this before. Not even with what-her-name back in high school.”

Evelyn mumbled some response.

“Whatever. What I’m saying is this sounds like someone special.”

“Special like you and David?”

I hope not, was Elisa’s immediate response, but she bit her tongue before it could leave her mouth. What was that? When had she soured on David? Cam’s bright eyes lingered mockingly before her eyes. She must not have suppressed her reaction as well as she thought for Evelyn’s cheer and teasing suddenly stopped.

“Is it… is something wrong?”

“No.” Elisa shook her head negating her verbal answer. “Yes? Oh, I don’t know,” she threw up her hands. “David is… he’s… he’s not changed or anything. He’s still the same-ole David, understanding, patient, funny…”

But that was it, wasn’t it? He hadn’t changed. And she had? She’d spent last year abroad for school. David had been kind and patient and waiting for her when she returned. But she’d revealed in the freedom the study abroad had given her. The freedom from him, from their couple-ness.

“Have you told him?” Evelyn asked reading between her silences as well as Elisa could read between Evelyn’s. Twins, can’t live with them and can’t image life without them.

“He hasn’t done anything.” Elisa protested. “Oh, I don’t know. I guess I keep hoping he’ll get fed up or something. Or that I’ll find out he had an affair while I was gone, but no such luck.

“You have to tell him.”

“I know, I know. It’s – complicated… now.” Elisa didn’t want to say more, not really, but she always said too much to Evelyn. “There’s this guy…Cam. He’s a student like me, smart. Knows all about my work. I can talk to him, really talk to him.”

“Elisa.”

“I know what you’re going to say, I do. It’s not anything major or anything. Not like your Lane is or anything. But Cam is…different. And he’s great in bed.”

“You didn’t.”

“I did,” Elisa still winced at the memory. She hadn’t meant to stay that late and then the offer of drinks. She’d been obligated to go out after standing him up previously. Admit it, you wanted to go out with him. And then one thing led to the other. The first time she could blame it on the moment, the second…

“Do you love this new guy?” Evelyn was frowning. Her twin’s world was so black and white. If you loved someone you loved someone and it all worked out. Elisa knew her own feelings were much more grey. She shrugged.

“I don’t know.” She winced as her brain supplied the answer. “I’d rather have sex with him.”

When Cam had kissed her that first time… They’d fucked in the bathroom unable to wait even the few blocks walk back to his apartment. When was the last time David had made her feel that way?

“You have to talk with David, Elisa.” Evelyn repeated.

“I…. I know.” Elisa covered her face. She was messing up, wasn’t she? Badly. That’s why she’d told Evelyn, even if she hadn’t planned to. Evelyn was a mirror and she’d been avoiding the whole topic ever since that second time. That’s when she knew she was in trouble and it wasn’t just an oops. Tears spilled down her face, surprising her.

“Oh,” she sniffed and rubbed them away. “Sorry, I’m a bit of a mess, aren’t I?” She tried to grin away her sister’s concerned look. It fell a little flat. “I’ll talk to him.” That was what Evelyn wanted to hear. What she would say to him, she didn’t know. And to be honest, she wasn’t entirely sure which ‘him’ she was referring too.

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Thanks for reading! And for your viewing pleasure – we had a slight mishap in the cafe. This is why you should be careful when playing with your sim’s emotions.