No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Fanny could read me like an open book. "So, where to? I'm with you, or..."

"Let's go spruce up my place," I cut in before Fanny could finish.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You had this planned?"

"Not exactly planned, just since the day before yesterday," I gestured toward the backseat where a set of new bedding still lay unpacked.

"Bought them with Haley yesterday," I added, igniting a spark of gossip in Fanny's eyes.

On our way to my place, I spilled the beans to Fanny, who nodded vigorously and angrily. "Good that you didn't go through with the marriage license. Conrad's a scumbag, wanting his cake and eating it too."

"Scumbag is a scumbag, no matter the time," I retorted with a chuckle.

Fanny looked at me sternly. "Felicia, you don't have to put on a brave face for me."

"I'm honestly not that upset, really," I said, keeping my eyes on the road. "Maybe my feelings for Conrad had gone stale, just like his for me."

That's how I felt, but I soon realized this kind of stale, familiar affection was like a fine wine, its true strength only apparent after a while. It was so for me and even more so for Conrad.

Fanny didn't know my family's home. We met at school and became friends after I joined the Wagner family.

"This place isn't bad, just a bit out of the way and old," Fanny never beat around the bush with me, always speaking her mind.

"Yeah, this is where I lived with my parents. I didn't want to change it," I said as I placed the bedding on the couch and went to wash and boil water in a new kettle.

Fanny took a self-guided tour around the house, eventually leaning against the kitchen doorway. "Not bad. It's a bit dated, but it's cozy. I can tell your family was happy here."

Yes, we were happy until that car accident.

To this day, it felt like a nightmare, my parents dropping me off at school talking about a contract that would let them build me an amusement park if it went through. But then, they never made it home.

"Felicia, Felicia," Fanny's voice snapped me back to reality. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"What's there to say?" I looked up at her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, noting my demeanor.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"Just missing my parents," I felt a lump in my throat, sadness and pressure building up.

Even though I knew since I entered the Wagner family that Conrad would be my boyfriend, it wasn't until three years ago that we officially became a couple.

It was on the anniversary of my parents' death. I was crying at their grave when he held me and promised that he'd be there for me, vowing by their tombstone to love me as they did.

Back then, I naively thought I'd found someone to rely on, just like my parents.

"Why dwell on them? Think about what you'll do next," Seeing the pain in my eyes, Fanny deliberately changed the subject.

"You and Conrad are done. What's next for you?" she probed.

Just then, the kettle whistled. I made two cups of instant coffee. "I've handed everything to my manager, and my resignation letter is ready. I'll quit after the amusement park's final inspection."

"Quitting is the right move. The 'let's be friends' spiel post-breakup is bullshit. Out of sight, out of mind," Fanny wholeheartedly supported my decision.

I nodded in agreement, not wanting

to dwell on the subject, so Fanny looked around my place. "It seems you've got all the modern gadgets here, like a smart washer, a proper coffee machine, and even a robot vacuum."

"I'll get to it," I assured her, sipping my coffee.

"Where are you planning on going?" Fanny inquired, curious.