A Love Restored

As Felix and I strolled along the dimly lit streets, the night air cool against our skin, I reached to hold his hand. It was a beautiful walk down the road from his house. Trees aligned both sides of the road, it was clean and the air smelled fresh. Today, especially, when the air was so cold blowing on our faces. His hair blew in the wind slightly, messing it up a little. I thought he looked so cute like that.

We rounded a corner, and the glow of neon lights caught my eye. A small taco stand stood at the edge of the sidewalk, its colorful sign flickering in the darkness like a beacon. The smell of sizzling meat and spices wafted towards us, making my stomach growl in anticipation.

“Felix, look!” I exclaimed, tugging at his sleeve. “Let’s get some tacos!”

Felix glanced at the stand, his expression tightening slightly. “I don’t know, Flora,” he murmured, his brow furrowing. “It doesn’t look very… clean.” He looked down at me, “I can take you to a great Mexican restaurant tomorrow.”

I rolled my eyes, “Oh, come on, Felix,” I said, giving him a playful nudge. “Live a little! Don’t be a snob! Besides, street food is the best food.”

He hesitated for a moment, but my pleading gaze must have softened his resolve because he sighed and relented. Fine, but just this once.”

A grin spread across my face as I practically skipped over to the stand, the tantalizing aroma growing stronger with each step. The vendor, a middle- aged man with a wide smile, greeted us warmly as we approached.

“What can I get for you folks tonight?” he asked, wiping his hands on a stained apron

I eagerly placed my order, rattling off my favorite toppings as Felix stood beside me, looking slightly queasy. Despite his reservations, he eventually placed his own order, albeit with a hint of reluctance. I asked him to get the pork tacos, while I got the chicken tacos…

As we waited for our food, I couldn’t help but notice the way Felix kept glancing around nervously. He was staring intently at the cart, making sure the man wasn’t doing anything weird.

“I can’t believe you’re such a snob, Felix!” I exclaimed, “We used to eat street food all the time.”

He shrugged, “I got food poisoning from a food truck once. Makes me queasy. Besides, my fr could have just gone there, flower.”

I shook my head, “This is real authentic food. Now shut up.”

friend owns Tosta, it’s a two Michelin Mexican restaurant. We

Finally, our tacos arrived, steaming hot and overflowing with delicious fillings. I grabbed mine eagerly, taking a big bite and letting out a contented sigh

as the flavors exploded in my mouth. Beside me, Felix hesitated for a moment before tentatively taking a bite of his own.

To my delight, a smile crept onto his face as he savored the taste, his initial reservations fading away with each delicious bite. I looked at him expectantly. He shook his head in defeat, “I’ll admit, its good.”

I grinned. We exchanged one taco each. The pork taco was good but I was happy with my choice, I dropped some sour cream on my T shirt, which made Felix chuckle. So I scooped it with a finger and wiped it on his hand.

“Hey!” He exclaimed, grimacing. I giggled. Its so fun to annoy your boyfriend.

My boyfriend. Sometimes all of this still felt like a dream.

I smiled and reached out to feed him a bite with my hand. He bit into the crispy taco, staring at me. “You’re so pretty, Flora.” He said lowly, I smiled.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

As we finished our tacos, Felix turned to me with a serious expression on his face. “Flora, there’s something I’ve been meaning began, his voice hesitant.

I furrowed my brow, sensing the weight of his words. “What is it, Felix?”

to talk t

you about,” he

“It’s about your job,” he said, his gaze d

dropping to the ground. “Now that we’re together, I think it’s time for you to st someone else to take care of those things.”

stop working for me and hire

I felt a knot form in my stomach at his words. The thought of not being

ng there for him in that way made

way made me feel strangely empty.

“But Felix,” I started, my voice faltering slightly, “I like taking care of things for you. Cooking for you, tidying up… I like…serving you like that.”

Something in his eyes flared up when he said that. Something primal. He shook his head.

He looked up at me, his eyes softening. “I know, flower, and I appreciate everything you do for me. I don’t want you slaving around for me, you’re my girlfriend now, I want you to have the most comfortable life where you don’t have to worry about taking care of my chores.”

I sighed, torn between my desire to please him and my own stubbornness. “You didn’t seem to mind it before.” I mumbled sarcastically.

He reached out and took my hand, his touch gentle yet reassuring. “I’m sorry. I did mind. I was just being a dick.”

I looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of insincerity, but all I found was genuine concern and affection. With a resigned smile. I nodded, knowing that I couldn’t deny him this request.

“Okay, Felix,” I said softly. “TII hire a cleaning lady. But I’ll still be doing all the cooking, okay?”

He nodded. “Fine with me.”

As we walked back hand in hand, Felix suddenly turned to me with a thoughtful expression. “Babe.”

The word made me chuckle.

“What?” he scowled.

“Nothing, nothing, what’s up?”

“I have a question for you.”

“Oh! Tell me, Felix,” I replied, curiosity piqued.

“Have you ever thought about going to college?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.

1 hesitated for a moment, surprised by the question. “Well, yeah, I admitted, a hint of wistfulness in my voice. “But I’ve never really had the money for

A flicker of determination crossed Felix’s face as he took both of my hands in his. Tlower, please. You don’t have to worry about money ever again. I

can take care of you.”

I stared at him in disbelief, my heart fluttering with a mix of emotions at what he was offering. “Felix, L..I don’t even know what to say,” I stammered, feeling overwhelmed by his generosity.

He brushed a strand of hair away from my face, his expression earnest. “Say that you’ll do everything you’ve ever wanted to do. Say that you’ll start looking for universities and pursue your dreams.”

A lump formed in my throat as his words sank in. “I want to study economics, I confessed, a spark of excitement igniting within me. Tve always been fascinated by it in school. And…and I want to get a PhD. I love the idea of a life in academia.”

Felix’s eyes lit up with pride and admiration. Then that’s what you’ll do, Flors. You have the brains for it,” he declared, his voice unwavering. I want you to do everything you’ve ever wanted to, without worrying about anything else.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I threw my arms around him, overcome with gratitude and disbelief. In that moment, I knew that with Felix by my side, anything was possible. And as we continued our walk under the moonlit sky, I couldn’t help but feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

I hoped nothing would ever take me away from him.

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