5. Low blood sugar

I was pulled out of my fog and was now staring at Matt with my widened eyes.

“Are you okay?” His concerned voice embraced my troubled heart. “I was coming here and saw through the window how the phone slid off your hand and then you seemed so… Do you need water or something?”

“Oh, he cares so much!” My inner voice confirmed my desires.

“What is going on, Matt?” My Mom entered the room with a serious expression. “You seem concerned ab-” her chocolate eyes stopped on me. “Mia, you are so pale!”

She rushed towards me and I began to wonder why they were so worried. Accidentally, I was making a huge drama.

“Mom, I am okay.” I waved my hand, but it seemed like it was in slow motion.

“Was I okay?” I thought and hid my face in my palms again.

When I opened my eyes again, I was enveloped in my mother’s warm embrace. She checked my forehead for high temperature with a kiss and I inhaled her scent.

“Ummm! Vanilla, ironed clothes, and something baked. A pie?” I smiled, resting my head in the cozy knitted blouse of hers.

“Not warm.” My Doctor-Mom stated to Matt.

“I am just fine,” I pulled away to regain my control. “Maybe low blood sugar or something.”

“How can you have low blood sugar on Christmas holidays?” He called back his smile.

The color surely returned to my face as I felt heat rushing to my cheeks. It was easy for him to make me emotional. Too easy.

“I will bring you some pie with warm cocoa milk.” My Mom got up and after another look at all of me, she gave a task to Matt. “You stay with her and make sure she is okay.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he grinned and plopped on the sofa next to me.

“You are coming to the bazaar with me tonight,” he stated. “I must stuff this cute face with some sweets.”

While saying this, his pointer finger grazed my cheek. I gaped at him with surprise clear in my features.

“Also, I came to ask you something.” He licked his lips with a proud expression and I just continued to stare at him like a dizzy fool.

“Mom, some sugar please!” I yelled, hearing my voice as it came from afar.

I needed to think more clearly, instead of thinking Matt’s lips were like candy.

He cleared his throat, but his teeth showed in a charming smile. Was he asking me to a dance or something? Was there any Christmas ball, I was forgetting about?

“See, I am fixing myself a place to call my own.” Matt finally said. “It is the small house on top of the hill. Remember? Where we went to celebrate after prom?”

He looked directly into my eyes and I only nodded. Where was this pie?

“It was my aunt’s place, but she never really cared for it. Now she lives in England and she officially gave it to me.”

“Okay.” I managed, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Congratulations then.”

“Yeah, thank you.” He nodded. “Cool aunt Lissa.”

“Here you go, my sweet girl,” my mother placed the food before me. “I’ve told you you are too skinny. I should smack Adrian for not caring for you.”

I raised my brows at her and bit my lip so I will not admit how right she was. “It smells amazing, Mom. Thank you so much!” I changed the subject.

It wasn’t that I can’t buy my own food. It was just that he didn’t really care much if I ate or slept well and such.

“Everything for you, my dear.” She cleaned her palms in her apron. “I have another thing cooking so I will leave you in Matt’s hands now.”

“The best place to be around Christmas, right?” Matt grinned at us. “I will take her with me tonight and will make sure she is well-fed with cookies and in high spirits.”

“Perfect!” My Mom tapped him on his shoulder, smiling. “Make some pictures, as I will be busy cooking pies for tomorrow’s event.”

“Will do, ma’am.” He flashed his smile at her, but I was the charmed one.

“Hm, so you were going to ask me something,” I questioned, and placed a fork, filled with pie in my mouth. “Mmmmmm,” I complimented my mother’s food with closed eyes. “I missed this.”

When I opened my eyes, Matt was staring at me with a grin. I could tell my reaction was truly amusing for him.

“I am sorry, you were asking me something.” I covered my mouth while chewing on the rest of the bite.

“I need you to help me organize stuff.” He said and waved his hands in the air. “I trust only you with my aunt’s belongings and there is a lot in the room I haven’t touched yet.”

“Why me?” I raised my brows, but I felt happy from his decision.

“Because you will have the heart to keep what is important and the mind to remove what is not needed.” He said and stole a bite of my pie while I was drinking my cocoa milk.

“Hey!” I playfully hit him with one of the throw-pillows on the sofa.

He hid himself behind his arms, but I still hit him two more times.

“Now that is a person, remembering how to live,” he said and I left him alone so I can again stare at him in wonder. “You became too serious in the big town. It is time for you to have some fun. I am going to take care of that.”

***

The evening came and the winter night was already here, despite the fact it wasn’t that late. I waited outside on the porch, dressed in the warm coat I used as a teenager. It was inspiring to watch all the lights and the cheerful decorations of the houses around me. Silence had enveloped the whole street, as if it was sleeping under the snow cover.

Suddenly, the door behind me opened and my mother hurried to put my mobile in my gloved hands. “It was ringing on the sofa, but before I could reach it, it stopped, dear.”

“Thank you, Mom,” I said truthfully. “I was going to forget it at home.”

“Happy to find it for you in time so you can take some amazing photos tonight.” She gave me a short hug. “Now go and have fun. I want to see you smile in the photos.”

I felt the pressure to feel happy despite how tortured I was inside. I knew I had to tell her the truth.

“Damn!” I silently cursed when she closed the door and I saw who called me.

Steps behind me made me turn around “Adrian!” I said the name of the caller.

“Um, no. Just Santa,” said the person, who was now before me.

Even more amazed, I inspected a guy in a Santa Claus costume. He was tall, with a perfect, soft long beard and a realistic huge belly under the warm red coat.

“Oh, uhm…hi! Santa.” I stuttered, taking a step back.

“It is me, M” Matt’s laugh echoed in the silent night.

I bit my lip to try and hide how embarrassed I suddenly felt and bumped his fake belly. “Damn you, M!”

“Watch your language, you naughty girl!” He made himself serious. “Or you might get coal in your sock.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him. I hastily hid my mobile in my coat with my other hand and tried to catch up with his confident steps.

“I will keep you steady. You will not fall if I am holding you.” Matt said and fire burned through my heart.

I was no fool. I knew this feeling. I was into him.