"See? I told you you'd get something," dad says as I help him wash the dishes. "We all start somewhere."

"Yeah yeah, you started cleaning horse shit, I don't need to hear that story again please," I groan drying yet another cup from the stash of 20 I brought from my room alone.

"I made some good money, maybe more than I'm doing now as a lawyer."

"Remember when I was a kid, I wrote you a little letter saying that you were the best lawyer in the world on father's day?"

"I still have it," he chuckles, passing me another wet cup.

"I grew up and realized the best lawyers are filthy rich, we're poor, so you're obviously not a very good lawyer. So yeah, that was kinda disappointing," I say with a smirk. "I want that letter back, I have to rewrite it."

"How ungrateful of you," he says dramatically, splashing me with some water. "What would you write in it now?"

"I'd write: not the best lawyer, definitely not the best dad, absolutely not the best cook but obviously the best dude," I chuckle as he squints his eyes at me.

"Why did I raise you like this?"

"You raised me to be a carbon copy of you and now you're seeing how annoying you are, oy vey," I say dramatically just as the doorbell rang.

"Saved by the bell."

I excitedly walk up to the front door knowing it's Daniella, we are having dinner together, a celebration for my new job. And also as an excuse to see each other.

"You're early," I smirk as I open the door.

"Better early than late," she says, planting a quick kiss on my lips. "Are you ready?"

"Not yet, I just need to pick up a jacket and grab my wallet," I say as she follows me into the house to greet my dad but before she could so much as open her mouth he cuts her off.

"Please, don't call me Mr Krause, it's Mordechai for the family," he says in an amused tone.

"Of course, Mordechai, it's good to see you again. I'm here to steal Anna again for the night."

"No need to be that formal either, sweetheart," he smiles our way. "Anna, c'mon hurry up."

"I'll be down in a minute," I say sprinting up the stairs.

Daniella will be taking me to a restaurant out of town today. Nothing fancy but I still wanted to look good for our second public date. I'm wearing a white dress that hugs tight to my body but doesn't overdo it, we're kinda matching, except hers is flowy.

The restaurant is about one hour away and I'm glad I decided to wear something fancier, this place is beautiful. Obviously, Daniella and I have different opinions on what a fancy place is.

I don't think I'm ready to go to a restaurant she considers fancy.

We walk hand in hand inside the restaurant and the moment we were past the doors a waitress was quick to lead us to our table. This place looks amazing from the inside and out. There's a freaking tree growing in the middle of the saloon for G-d's sake.

"Wow," is all I can say as we finally sit down at our table which was deliberately in a more secluded area.

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

"Have you been here before?"

"I've heard about it but I didn't have a reason to come," she says as a waitress stops by to give us the menu.

"Now you do," I say holding her hand over the table.

She smiles shyly at me, intertwining our fingers together. "What are you going to order," she asks, opening her menu with her free hand, our fingers still laced together.

"Uhm, I'm not sure, what are you going to get?" I ask looking down at the list but I don't get an answer. Daniella's fingers go stiff in mine as she slowly lets go of my hand. "What's —" I don't get to finish my sentence, Daniella's face is pale and static as I look up.

"Daniella?" I hear from behind me, a voice that I unfortunately recognize... Mrs Sonia, my former English teacher and one of Daniella's teacher friends in school. "It's so nice to see you again," she says stopping by in front of our table with a man that I presume is her husband.

"Sonia, long time no see," Daniella says simply, forcing a smile.

"Are you here with a friend? A date perhaps?" she asks only then glancing at me with a smile but her eyes stay on me, examining me. "I know you."

I don't know what to say, my heart is bumping on my chest like it wants to come up and out my mouth. I look at Daniella for help but her eyes are somewhere else.

"It's a small world," I chuckle awkwardly.

"Anna Krause," she says and at that moment my heart skipped a beat. "How strange," she murmurs looking between us. "I didn't know you two were close."

Daniella says nothing for a good 3 seconds. "Yeah, we just happened to bond later on."

"I see, this is quite the romantic setting though," she says looking at me again, I try to act cool but I know she's seeing right through me. "Well, I won't interrupt you two." One last awkward smile and she's off to her table. Ironically, just a few meters away from ours.

Daniella's face doesn't relax one bit and her eyes refuse to look into mine. I can't really blame her, this is her nightmare come true.

"Should we leave?" I whisper soothingly making her finally look at me.

"No," she says clearing her throat. "That'll come off as obvious that we're trying to hide something."

We order our food but we both barely touch it, there was little to no conversation too. Daniella was completely lost in her thoughts the whole night.

I might as well forget about any future dates.

The car ride is silent too and there's visible and suffocating tension in the air. "Can I sleepover?" I ask as we were nearing the entrance to our city. I don't want to leave her alone with her thoughts.

In reality, I don't want her to make any sudden decision without me.

She's silent for several seconds until she lets out a low "yes."

The only sound present once we come inside her house comes from Slipper's snores on the couch.

I pull her into a hug once the door is closed, she's stiff at first but soon relaxes into the hug. "It's ok," I whisper, hugging her tightly. She takes a deep breath before nodding her head and wrapping her hands around my torso. "Go shower, we'll sleep, and tomorrow we can think about it." She nods her head again slowly letting go of me but holding my hand as we go up the stairs.

I quickly change my clothes as I wait for her in her room. I lay down smelling her perfume on the sheets and that alone is enough to put me at ease.

"Everything is going to be ok," I whisper to myself, sitting up on the bed again.

But for some reason, my eyes travel once again to the shelf where the plushie is and — the paper.

I get up and walk to it, I have no idea why I'm so curious about it. I just want to see it.

It looks exactly the way I gave it to her as I hold it in my hands, examining it. Not one wrinkle. Looking at it brings me comfort but at the same time some kind of... anxiety?

I open it, I don't know what I was expecting but this wasn't it. A circle, an X, anything.

It's nothing.

She didn't mark an answer.

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