A blue light would soon be replaced by a warm golden glow as sunlight blanketed Theo's room, eventually waking me up. It was only once I finally eased my eyes open that I was truly reminded of our location and the fact that I was not in my own bed but in fact in Theo's, with his face right before my freshly opened eyes being quite difficult to ignore.

For the first time I had stayed over at Theo's. For the first time we had spent the night together-  and yes, we had only slept and done nothing more.

We had committed a crime and fallen asleep in the midst of a Leonardo DiCaprio movie marathon, Catch Me If You Can the unlucky victim. Fortunately, I had made sure that I messaged Jess last night to let her know that I was alive and well, and that I had just gone back to Theo's. Ultimately, the plan hadn't been to stay over, so me sending that message was just good luck that ended up saving her from thinking something had gone wrong when I did eventually end up staying the night. Me spending the night somewhere, let alone unplanned, just didn't happen so it was important that Jess be notified lest she think I was kidnapped like she had only months ago when I had wound up ill in Theo's office.

By some miracle I did not end up falling asleep with exhaustion from my anxiety-riddled thoughts like I had thought I would when I first voiced my truths to Theo last night. Instead, I fell asleep accidentally, with my head practically collapsing on Theo's shoulder after hours of talking and laughing with one another over Leonardo DiCaprio's film masterpieces, The Wolf of Wall Street being the first in line. All thoughts were distracted from as my need to comment on parts of the film overshadowed them.

It was supposed to be just the one movie, but then we couldn't decide what that one movie would be. Titanic was ruled out immediately because we said we didn't have it in us to dedicate over three hours to only one movie- no matter how iconic that one movie is. Plus, our previous debate over whether Jack could have fit on the door would have likely resurfaced and only distracted us. Ultimately, we would end up watching more than the three hours of Titanic but we didn't think that through entirely. After much debate we decided on two shared favourites: The Wolf of Wall Street (which was in fact nearly as long as Titanic) and Catch Me If You Can. We were both clearly in denial putting on Catch Me If You Can and thinking we could actually stay awake, with myself falling asleep before Frank Abagnale had even made it through his first career.

Now awake, lord knows how many hours later, it takes a second for me to remind myself of where I am. Once my eyes have successfully adjusted to the light, I grasp the opportunity to better take in the sight of Theo's face resting less than thirty centimetres away from mine on his pillow. He is still sound asleep, sleeping peacefully and hands curled up by his head like a child. He has this sheepish little smile peeking out and his eyebrows, so often furrowed, are at ease as the worries of life seemingly faded away in his sleep at the very least. His hair is disheveled, with a stray hair falling down onto his forehead in a perfect curl. It's odd to see him so stripped back, so bare- no suit or button-up shirt, no styled hair or shoulders tensed- defences down and all. It's comforting though, seeing him actually look like an ordinary twenty-something year old guy.

With his arms raised to rest beside his head, the black hoodie he had slipped on last night is raised, exposing the fine lines and smooth skin of his bare lower abdomen. His lips rest ajar as he takes soft and slow breaths, revelling in the warm air inside the apartment while the windows are frosted over with a winter chill. 

I am still observing all the intricate details of his face, like I've never had the opportunity to before, when Theo unexpectedly wakes up too and I am left to chaotically cover up my stalker-like actions.

"Good morning." A husky toned Theo mumbles as his eyes ease open, squinting as they adjust to the light and my presence before me.

Crap, he's going to think I've just been laying here staring at him, I worry.

"Morning." I manage to respond in an almost strangled whimper.

Just to try and make my case that I haven't been obsessively watching him, I rub my eyes like I have just awoken too to which the corners of his lips raise slightly with what I assume is amusement. His fingers run through his brown mop of hair, pushing the strands which had been resting in disarray across his forehead back up and off of his face.

"What time is it?" he asks, thankfully letting me off the hook as he shifts onto his back and stretches out his arms which had been held tightly under his head in sleep.

"Um, let me check." I tell him, rushing to take the opportunity to move on from being caught in the act, quickly fumbling around in search of my phone. 

My phone isn't on the bedside table and I know that I brought it in with me last night so I begin tapping around the bed in search of it. I'm about to start searching between the bedsheets when Theo interrupts with a "hold on!", grabbing onto my now lifted hip and holding it in place as he grabs my phone from beneath me.

"Thanks," I say, gingerly taking the phone from him as his touch leaves my skin. "It's 8:35."

"Gee, considering how late we fell asleep I probably could've slept longer." he remarks, sinking back into his pillows. 

I follow his lead and lay back too, contemplating over how working has led to this damn mental alarm holding me back from a delightful sleep-in this Sunday morning. 

"Yeah, but I guess maybe it's a good thing. Means I'll be a bit more tired tonight and can fall asleep earlier so that I don't sleep in for work." I explain, ever the capitalist. 

"You make a valid point." he comments, pointing at me with agreement. He proceeds to turn on his side once again, his head nestled into the folded over pillow so that he has the perfect position to look at me. "I had fun last night."

"Me too." I almost whisper. Why do I feel the need to lower my voice? I don't know. Perhaps it's because of this odd feeling I have like I'm a child again, hiding away from the world in the warm cocoon of a blanket fortress. 

"It was certainly better than anything that could have happened at that gala." he chuckles, clearly not holding any morning-after regrets over leaving his work's, and more importantly his father's, event. 

The lack of next-day concerns is not exactly shared with me as I remember an implication of our early departure. 

"Oh god, the gala... Damon! He's going to be so upset with me." My hands drag down my face in exasperation as I recall the matter that I had ignored last night. Well, now that matter had to be considered post-midnight slumber with Theo. A further conversation with him to clarify my sudden departure would definitely be due later. Yes, he had abandoned me from when he first did not travel with me to the gala as planned and then later running off to talk to one person and then another. But I didn't exactly give him much of a chance to make up for it. God, I didn't even wait for our meals and he did pay for my ticket to the gala. 

Meanwhile, the smug grin that threatens to grow wider across Theo's face, which is only held back as he bites down on the left side of his bottom lip, tells me he isn't exactly upset at the thought of Damon being disappointed. 

"Please, you'll be fine. I don't think there's anything you could do to upset Damon. Plus, he probably had his head too far up some executive's ass to be too bothered." he teases, earning him a smack across the arm for his childish rivalry. 

Perhaps not wanting to push any buttons too far, or simply wanting to keep Damon out of the conversation, Theo leaves that discussion there. "Well, if I'm gonna last on this much sleep then I'm gonna need coffee. You want some?" he asks, leaping out of the bed eagerly. 

"No thanks." I kindly reject. 

"Right, a rare non-coffee drinker." he remarks with a finger pointed at me with recollection. "Well, you'll stay for breakfast right?"

"Sure, breakfast sounds lovely." I eagerly nod, that McDonalds detour feeling like a lifetime ago now. 

With an awkward double thumbs up in response, Theo spins back around and begins to make his way out of the room. But only seconds after he makes his way out of his bedroom, Theo pulls himself back around the door frame.

"By the way, there are some sweatpants in my drawer over there if you wanted some. I'll put the heating on but it's pretty cold and you might be more comfortable."  he kindly offers. 

"Thanks. I think I'll take you up on that." I say, remembering the lack of clothing I have on other than his top and measly pair of underwear. 

"No problem." he says, before he is gone once again and the only sound to follow is the sound of cupboards opening and closing. 

Once the coast is clear and I've spent a few minutes on my phone mainly updating Jess, I sneak out from under the bedsheets. I'm well aware that Theo has seen me a lot more bare than this, last night being a prime example, but it's a different story when we're not being kept busy by other activities. 

I go over to the set of drawers that I looking intently at last night- the one on which rested the photo of who I assumed was Theo and his late mother. I open the first drawer to no luck, finding the offered sweatpants in the second drawer and checking for a pair with a pull-string to make sure they stay up on me okay. With the sweatpants pulled on and tied on tightly, I quickly fix up my appearance with what little resources I have before finally take the chance to take a closer look at the photo after having missed my chance narrowly last night. I can hear the sizzling of food cooking and pans clattering so I know that I shouldn't be interrupted snooping this time. 

Picking up the picture, a closer examination reveals Theo at around seven or eight years of age with his mother's arms wrapped tightly around him from behind. My guess of his age is supported by the pixie cut his mother has, with Theo having mentioned that she got sick when he was around six and in the years to follow would go through treatment before briefly entering remission. Of course, she could have just like her hair cut that way but, from how fragile she looks and knowing from Theo that she had gone through a mastectomy and chemotherapy, the puzzle pieces were aligning. 

She's squeezing him tightly like she never wants to let go, which I can only imagine at that time was her biggest and most imminent fear. Her head rests on his shoulder, with the warmest of smiles pulling at her lips and eyes as Theo matches her grin with one of utmost excitement and playfulness. His eyes are almost closed and that smile is so incredibly toothy, with some teeth clearly missing, as both him and his mother adorn cheesy Christmas sweaters with the lights of a Christmas tree shimmering in the far background. 

I wonder, as I look at this glimpse at a young Theo, what he would have been like if his mother had survived. If she had gotten the chance to see him grow into a man.  Would those brows which are so often furrowed in thought and those tightly clenched hands have adorned his daily appearance like they do today? Would he have had a better relationship with his father? Would he have let people in more often?

"Breakfast is served!" calls out Theo, suddenly ending my peek into his history. 

I leave the picture behind, making sure it is exactly where I found it before I grab my phone and go to meet Theo. I'm treated to an indulgent breakfast with Theo having whipped up a few slices of French toast, eggs and bacon, leaving me very much bloated by the end of the meal. As we eat he reminisces of how his grandmother was the one to teach him to cook, with his father not being home very often after his mother had passed away, reminding me of the pure innocence of the boy in that picture resting in his room and how those eyes of his were so full of joy and naive to what would come.  

I would stay for hours and continue these discussions, enjoying the rare glimpses he gives me into his world, if I didn't know I had a backlog of Sunday errands to complete. Instead, I need to be getting home so, once the dishes are put away by me as a thank you for making us the delicious breakfast, I prepare to go put back on the dress which currently lays in a pool on Theo's bedroom floor. But Theo holds me back before I can. 

"As good as you looked in that dress, I'm guessing you don't want to have to walk around the city in the middle of the day in it?" he points out. 

I think it over and he does make a valid point. It's freezing out there and the only reason I managed last night was because I went straight from a heated Uber ride to the gala, where the wealthy people were certainly not going to be allowed to freeze. But it shouldn't really be any different today since I was going to go straight home. I was tossing up taking the train home but either way it's not the end of the world. 

"I mean, it's not ideal but I'll survive." I assure him. 

He shakes his head, dismissing my assurances. 

"Just keep my clothes on. I'll give you a hoodie or something to go on top of my shirt. You'll freeze out there, plus I don't imagine it's the comfiest option to go about in that dress." he says, not waiting for a response before he begins to walk off to his bedroom. 

"Are you sure?" I call out, not wanting to be too much of a hassle. 

"Certain!" he shouts back as I hear his bedroom door open and close only a few short moments later. 

He soon hands over a hoodie just like the once he adorns but only in grey, making me wonder how many other coloured options of it were waiting in his wardrobe. I certainly wish it was that simple to choose clothing as a female. I thank him, taking the item from him and eagerly slipping it on. However, as I pull the hoodie over my head I begin to laugh to myself, a sudden realisation dawning on me being both embarrassing yet hilarious to myself.

"What is it?" Theo asks, bewildered curiosity clear as he lifts his eyebrows with intrigue at my sudden outburst of humour. 

"I just realised that I wore heels last night. Meaning I'll be going home in a pair of track pants, a hoodie and high heels. If that doesn't earn me trendsetter status I don't know what will." I cringe, looking down at my outfit and then at the pair of heels that wait beside Theo's front door. 

"Oh, right...  I didn't think about that." he remarks, scratching at this head and looking around the room as if some sort of solution would jump out at him. "Do you want me to run to a store and grab something for you?" he offers.

I dismiss his generosity with a wave of the hand. He's done more than enough. He doesn't need to be running around on a Sunday morning looking for shoes for me because of my poor planning.

"It's okay, truly. I'll survive. Plus, maybe I can pull it off." I tease. "But thanks for the offer." 

"Are you sure? It's not too much of an effort. I'd offer you something else of mine but obviously we can't get away with that with footwear." he asks, ever the chivalrous gentleman this morning. 

"I'm sure." I tell him, with my hand unconsciously moving to his upper arm to turn down his offer yet show my gratitude and reassurance. 

He begins to offer me a ride home but is cut off when my phone starts to ring from where it sits on the dining table. I take a quick peek at the phone seeing Lexi's name surprisingly  across the screen, which is rare as messaging is the way for us sisters. I know it must be important then if she's actually calling so I'm eager to pick up.

"Sorry, it's Lexi. One sec." I say as he nods with understanding. 

"Hey Lex. What's up?" I answer as Theo attempts to keep himself busy. 

"Hey sis, I just needed to talk to you about something." she responds, in a tone that is noticeably less chirpy than usual and almost cautious. 

"Okay... shoot." I reply tentatively.

"Okay, but you have to promise you won't get angry at me."

I feel as though my blood pressure has doubled over in only mere seconds upon hearing that request, if it is possible. This girl would really be the death of me at this rate with everything she keeps throwing at me. 

"You know that I can't do that. What could you have possibly done Lexi?" I sigh, not mentally prepared for any more big news from her. The pregnancy was enough for a while. Theo quirks an eyebrow inquisitively in my direction to which I just respond with an exasperated expression and a shrug.

"So, we kind of need you to come back home next weekend if you have a chance so you can help us out. Baba is sort of moving into a nursing home and needs help packing up the house and moving her stuff, but I can't be there all day to help so we need your help." she blurts out without a single breath. 

Hold on... what is going on? 

The words she rambles come through one ear and right through the other as I try to comprehend them. I mean, I heard them. I just don't understand them. 

"What on earth are you talking about Lexi? Why would Baba be moving into a nursing home? She's perfectly fine, I saw her a week or two ago, and plus she's always spoken about how she never  wants to go to a nursing home." I reply, testing the waters to see if she is teasing. 

I notice Theo slowing down his movements from the corner of my eye, having begun to keep himself busy tidying up but now tentatively observing me while trying not to obviously eavesdrop. 

"Well, she's not really fine." she tells me slowly yet as if it is so simple. "Look, Baba has dementia and it's been getting a lot worse lately. So much worse that she started a fire in the kitchen last week when she left the stove on after baking. There was some pretty bad damage but she's okay, at least physically."

Okay, if this is a joke then it is a sick joke. Surely, my own grandmother wouldn't be going through something like this and no one at all would tell me? Right?

"What do you mean, Lexi? She's been fine every time I've seen her as of late." I repeat, what I'm hearing still not making sense to me or connecting to the reality in my mind. 

"Elle, it's pretty easy to pretend you're fine once every couple of weeks." she says matter-of-factly. I don't know if she is doing it intentionally or not but she is sure doing a good job at making me feel horrible for not visiting home more often as of late.

"How long has this been going on for?" I ask, trying to get more facts to decipher what I'm learning. 

"Look, she didn't want to worry you. She knows how busy you are with work and everything and didn't want to drag you out all the way home just to inevitably stress out." she tells me, avoiding answering me.

"How long Lexi?" I ask, exasperated. I just need a damn answer, not more excuses.

She loudly exhales, worrying me further. "At least a year now." she