Mr.Right

Winter is here.

The droplets of snow cascading outside confirms it, as I rub my freezing hands together and tuck them back in the pockets of my hoodie.

Winter used to be my favorite season of the year, mainly because of the Christmas cookies Mom and Grandma bake, and I also get to see my cousins when they come over for the holiday. We make huge snowmen out of the snow in our front yard.

The holiday decorations were also a bonus. We were referred to as the 'Clark Griswold' of the neighborhood because of the extreme way in which Mom covers the whole house with Christmas lights to 'catch the spirit of the Christmas season'.

I never thought I'd see the day where Winter is traumatic for me. The Christmas wind no longer sounds like music in my ears and the joy that once filled my mouth now tastes like ashes.

Tossing the sheet which covers the lower part of my body away, I hug myself as I walk towards the door. I'm curious about what Maverick is doing right now. I feel bad about ignoring him for half of the week.

I should at least be on good terms with the person I'm living with. I definitely shouldn't not be acting like I'm brain-dead anytime he's five inches away.

I peer through the door, wondering if he's out there and, sure enough, he is.

He's sitting on the stairs with a bottle of Corona in his hand and his head is bent. He shifts slightly to take a sip of his beer and I notice his muscles moving through the yellow sweatshirt he has on.

"You can't sleep either?" he calls out, without even turning his head, so I come out from the shadows and walk towards him.

"How did you know I was back there? I never made a sound," I say and sit next to him on the stairs.

"You were breathing too loudly." He takes an unopened beer from beside him and hands it to me. "Beer?"

I take the beer gratefully and open it, tilting it upwards to let the cool liquid enter my mouth. I lick my lips and his gaze follows the action.

"Have you heard from your brother yet?" I ask eventually.

"No, actually. He hung up on me yesterday and said something about having a booty call," He glances at me when I laugh at that. "I wonder how we're related, but have nothing in common."

"You do have things in common," I insist, taking another swig of beer. "You're just older, that's all."

"Excuse me? Did you just call me old?" He feigns shock. "I'm not even three years older than you, thank you very much."

"All right, all right!" I grin mischievously. "Grandpa Maverick."

Maverick scoffs and drinks some more beer too. "But isn't this cheating?" he says, after a pause.

"What is?"

"I mean, you know I own a hospital and an obnoxious step-brother but I only get to know your name. I literally don't know anything else about you, April White."

I shift uncomfortably and bring the beer to my lips. What am I supposed to say? I got fired from my job weeks ago because of some silly mistake, and now I'm trying to handle my depression in the hope I'll be able to get a new one?

Yeah, I'm not telling him that. I'll definitely look more stupid than the time Tony tried doing a backflip and it went horribly wrong.

Tony...

"You met my ex the other day. He's now a patient in your hospital," I say, before realising it came out much harsher than I intended it to.

at the mention of Tony and can

in trouble and acted like it didn't matter," I say as he waves it

need to worry about that. He

"Really? Your nose ended up bleeding. He can't have punched

to look cool here. Don't ruin this for

grin at him but instead, it comes out in a sad

about Tony again. Instead, he lets

and I wrap the silence around me like a duvet,

and it's nice to have a moment where I'm not crying, just so I can sort through them a

be left alone.

looks like he feels the

He opens another beer. "You never know who could be falling

but there's this spark of worry in his eyes. He's not telling me that Tony's a douchebag,

am able to forget all

~~~~~~~

next morning to beams of sunlight and the loud chirping of birds creeping into my room. My

beers I

glimpse of a cup, resting on my nightstand with a note glued to it. I ease out

much to drink last night so I made

You sleep like a

*baby dragon!

on me, will you?

~ Maverick.

a faint grin manages

turned on today, but I know Maverick won't be home, so I make my way to the kitchen,

two covered dishes on the counter with

which breakfast you'd like so I made two.

~M

dishes ready-made for you? ...Eating both of

first dish. The second

hardly make ramen, let alone lasagna. That's

it into my mouth, moaning with delight at

the counter as Jim's

says immediately as

weed are

isn't deterred. "No, April. I'm serious. Jacqueline wants us to go on a

type of weed is

car in the background and then country music playing softly. "She's taking the first flight back to France tomorrow and she wants the three of us to hang out at the

want me to be the third

sighing on the other end of the line. "It's just going to be you, tagging along with

'It's just going to be you tagging along with us'?" I mimic. "Are you even listening

picture Jim looking around him, surrounded by cars. "But, look, you could still bring

got, Jim, as you know fully-well."

"How about Doctor Stranger?"

Stranger? Have you been watching Korean