“I love the smell of coffee,” moaned Matty as she took a deep breath when she entered the bedroom.
“Right? It’s like an instant jolt of energy without even drinking it. I’ve heard coffee shops in malls will purposely dispense the smell into the mall area to entice people to come in. I’m not sure how true it is, though.”
“I could see that.”
She set the pink box on the table next to the coffee maker. It was from a local bakery in town.
“Did you have someone drop you off?”
“No, I walked.”
“To the bakery and here? I could have picked you up.” Guilt nudged at Reese’s heart. She had forgotten Matty didn’t have a vehicle.
Matty shrugged as she grabbed two mugs from the tub Reese used to keep the dishes in. “It’s not a big deal. It only added about ten or fifteen minutes.”
“Well, at least let me drive you home when we’re done here.”
Matty picked up the coffee pot and then poured it into the mugs. “We’ll see how tired I am after this. Do you need room for milk or creamer?”
“No, I drink it black.”
“Me too,” smirked Matty.
The smirk sent a shiver down Reese’s spine. How was she going to get through this morning without making a fool of herself?
Reese lifted the lid of the box. There were a dozen assorted doughnuts, a couple plain, some chocolate-covered, and some filled. “Do you have one you want for sure?”
“Nope, I’ll eat any of them. Ladies first.”
Reese smiled. She looked over them before selecting a lemon-filled one.
“Oh, lemon. Good choice.”
“What about you?” She bit into the doughnut, the soft dough melting almost as much as the creamy lemon jelly inside. She washed it down with a sip of coffee, the bitterness mingling with the sweetness perfectly.
Matty reached into the box and pulled out a cinnamon twist. “I’m a sucker for cinnamon sugar.”
Reese laughed as Matty took a big bite. She grinned while chewing, and her eyes almost disappeared behind the swell of her cheeks.
They tucked into their little meal, chewing and drinking down the warm coffee. A mild awkwardness fell over them, but it wasn’t so uncomfortable that it dampened the excitement within her. Between having help with cleaning and getting to spend time with Matty, she wasn’t even embarrassed by the house. Not yet, anyway.
She was still hungry after finishing the one doughnut but hesitated when she started for a second. Would Matty think she was overdoing it?
She must have noticed because she nodded her head. “Get another. No one can stop at just one.”
She grabbed a chocolate-covered one this time. “So I was thinking, I’m not sure if we focus on what we encounter first or if we pick a section or room.”
“The living room is looking much clearer even since I was last here.”
“Yeah, I try to spend an hour or two each night working on it if I can. Sometimes I’m too tired to do it. It takes a lot mentally, not just physically.”
Matty’s eyes softened. “If we need to take breaks or if there’s something that you’re not ready to deal with, we can avoid it. Nothing says we have to make huge progress today. Progress is progress. Also, I really like your shirt.”
She looked down at herself even though she knew what she was wearing. She laughed. “Thanks. A little counselor humor.”
“Is there anything in particular you want to accomplish today?”
"Honestly, I know we should probably finish the living room, but I’d love to get to the kitchen and laundry room. I’m not sure if any of it works still.”
