I was currently spending my morning repeating last night's events all over again in my head, but they all seemed too blurry for me to see them clearly. The whispering, the magical words that Sébastien had said to me, his raw honesty. If Seb was a drink, that would make me hungover today.

Too wrapped up in my own thoughts, I jumped up in a jolt in my seat when I heard the doorbell ring.

After I mustered the courage to get up and walk all the way to the front door, I found Nicole standing outside. I looked down at me, still in my pyjamas, looking terrible in comparison to Nicole's nice clothes.

"Nic!" I said, sounding every bit as surprised as I truly was. "What are you doing here?"

"What? I can't come and visit my sister in law?" She asked while walking inside, not even bothering to wait until I gave her permission to. Not that she needed it, by the way.

"I was actually in the neighbourhood. I had a breakfast meeting at that café by the park." She explained, her words mixing with the sound of her heels clinking against the wooden floors.

"Wow, you look like hell." She said after turning in her heels to face me, and I couldn't help but let out a chuckle at her honest words. "What happened to you?"

"If you must know, I went out on a date last night."

Saying it out loud only made it more real, and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed to admit it. I'm a mom, in her thirties, sounding like a teenager.

"Oh, is he still here?" She asked in a low whisper, her expression giving away a hint of embarrassment about dropping by unannounced. "I can leave and come back another time."

I laughed and closed the front door behind me before rolling my eyes at her. "No."

"Oh, so it didn't work out, uh?"

"It's... complicated."

"I know all about complicated." She took a seat on the sofa and patted on the empty cushion next to her. "Tell me everything."

I quickly grabbed two large mugs from the cabinet and filled them with fresh made tea that had been sitting on the counter for a while now. Following Nicole's orders, I sat next to her, handing her her drink before taking a sip of mine.

"Remember when I told you and Lucas about that customer I had at the restaurant that knew L'Amour?"

She nodded in agreement after trying the tea.

I filled her in on everything. How he kept showing up at the restaurant, how he kindly let me and Lexi bake in his kitchen, how he showed up at my doorstep unannounced to try my chocolate cake and how he didn't save up on compliments about me and my food. When I told her about what he did at the restaurant the last time he was there, she opened her mouth in shock.

"Mel, that guy seems to be totally smitten by you!"

"Oh, shush!" I pushed those thoughts away. "He's French, and you know how they are with food. They take it very seriously." Another gulp of the tea, before I added, "And you know, it's worse for him because he cooks too! He's got his own bakery in Paris."

"Honey," Nicole said, her voice soft while she rested her hand on top of my knee, covered by the lilac pyjamas. "I think it's adorable that you're not seeing this the way I see it. Really, I do. But as your friend and sister in law, I feel the need to warn you that he is into you."

"I can agree that last night was a date, even if he didn't tell me, but I don't think he's into me. I think he just..." I lifted my shoulders in a shrug. "Wants to get to know me better, that's all."

"Sure, I don't disagree, but I personally think he's really liking getting to know you." A beat. I didn't say anything while I silently mulled over her

words. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you like him?" Another question fired, the latter a bit more direct. "Are you enjoying getting to know him?"

"I am." I found myself admitting, out loud and without hesitation. "He's nice, he's great with Lexi, and he's definitely interesting... But I still feel like I don't know him that well."

"Well, that's pretty obvious, you've only known him for what? Three weeks? A month?" She did the math in her head. "But that's what dates are for."

"It's not just that, it's just that he's... He's sort of in a grey area, you know?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "He's not black or white, he's still... a mystery. And I'm not sure I want that."

"Sweetheart, you gotta tell me where your mind's at 'cause I'm losing track here."

I took a deep breath after putting the mug on the coffee table, and let my body fall back, resting against the cushions on the back of the sofa.

I tried my best to organise my thoughts and ideas in my head before I spilled them out to Nicole.

"All these dates I've pushed myself to go to in the past were always with the hope of finding someone great for my life. And the guys I met never worked out because there was always a red flag."

"And with Sébastien?"

"I can't see any." I said, softly as well, matching her tone. "Which is what scares me, because what if I can't see them now but they're there? And then when I realise that, it's too late?"

What I meant with all of these words was, what if this is my first relationship all over again? My ex was perfect too, at first at least, but I quickly saw his true colours. Good became bad in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, I was caught in the sucking blackhole that he was, and that sucked the life out of me.

And I refuse to let that happen again.

"Mel, I'm not telling you to marry the guy! I'm just saying... if he's enjoying getting to know you, and you're enjoying getting to know him, just go out with him. Seize the moment, enjoy. Baby steps."

I know Nicole means well when she says words of encouragement, telling me to get back out there in the dating world. But Nicole did it in order - she met her children's dad, dated him and then had his children and to this day, they're a happy family.

Me going back to dating right now means I'll do everything backwards. I've already got a child of my own, and whoever I meet and possibly date, needs to not only be good enough for me, but also for my daughter as well.

"Lexi's the most important part of my life, I can't just let him in if I don't know him well enough and put her heart on the line too. I can't do that, Nic."

"Drop the ifs... Just, be the brave woman I know you are and take the risk." She finished her tea. "If it works out, great. If it doesn't, we're all going to be here to help you pick up the pieces."

"This just... wasn't in the plans, you know?" She nodded, showing me she understood me. "I had officially given up on this. Dressing up, going out, sharing wine, eating together... And now, all of a sudden and completely unplanned, this guy comes along and makes me feel like... this!"

"The best things in life are always unexpected. You can take my word for it."

"Don't I know it?" I said, pointing in the direction of a frame with Lexi's picture on it. "My life has always been full of unexpected plot twists."

And the last thing I needed was another one.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

As an author, I LIVE for the chapters I write of two best friends just chatting away about their love lives, giving each other relationship advice and just being there 💗

Don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter, and to add this book to your reading lists so you don't miss out on any updates!

Xoxo, Mars