𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙏𝙃𝙍𝙀𝙀
—𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥—

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝙍𝙄𝙋 𝙏𝙊 Hawaii was quite complicated, as Bryce took it. Everywhere she turned, there was a new train to catch or a place she, Candice, and Evelyn needed to stop at for some unknown reason. But, as the women stepped onto the perfectly trimmed grass of their new home at Pearl Harbor, the long and excruciating trip was most definitely worth it.

Bryce, like the others, grabbed her luggage from the back of the taxi, and surged forward to check out the house. Their curiousness got the best of them, and they all wanted to explore. Although Bryce was looking forward to unpacking and resting, instead of venturing the neighborhood.

"I told you it would be beautiful," Evelyn says to Bryce as Candice pulls out her master key. "And it's so big, I could only imagine how much it costed."

More than what all of them had earned in their lives, Bryce guessed. But on the inside, she could tell that her estimation was beyond wrong. The size of the house, the things in it— she hadn't imagined staying in such a luxurious space. This was for a good cause, so the brunette wasn't too surprised, though. The government had personally issued for them, so that by itself meant something.

Upon entering, a chandelier hung from the wooden rafters, glittering against the early sunlight that peaked through the windows. The living space was large, with two sofas, a coffee table, and a television spread around. It was obvious the layout of the furniture had been discussed for a while, or was handled by a professional. The sofa matched the burgundy accent wall, and the paintings in the room contrasted with vibrant colors that reminded Bryce of an art show she once visited.

Several of the nurses trailed off on their own, taking the offered adventure of a personal tour. Bryce and Evelyn, however, decided they would do it together, and take it all in slowly. There was so much to think about— especially when only hours ago, the two of them were having a sleepover with Candice and joked about each other's packing skills.

"This kitchen," one of the nurses— Rose, Bryce recalled— sighs in content, walking along with Bryce and Evelyn. "It's bigger than my washroom, closet, and bedroom."

The brunette silently agreed, seeing as the same thing was true with her. This type of large space was uncommon, even with eight women living under the same room— there were nine bedrooms, for crying out loud. It was definitely unexpected, but Bryce wasn't about to complain.

The lighting in the cooking space was spectacular, the fluorescence bouncing of of the white tiles on the floor. Near the center, there was a bar with four aligned stools made out of the finest cedar that Bryce had ever seen. All of the appliances were brand new, and she could smell the hint of an artificial cinnamon wax that was melting in a tarte burner on the counter.

"Lets make cupcakes tonight," Evelyn suggests, the excitement clearly laced within her voice. "I want to cook in here as soon as possible, so that could be my excuse."

"I won't object to a red velvet cupcake," Bryce gives her a bright smile, "as long as there's a cream cheese icing. Those are the best."

"Evelyn, Bryce, get up here!" Candice says from above them, standing on the tips of her toes as she leans over the railing of the second floor. "You have got to see these bedrooms; they're killer."

Without questions or hesitation, the two complied and made their way up the stairs. Unlike Bryce's home, they didn't creak as she stepped on them. Instead, they were steady— new and perfect.

Upon entering, Bryce found that her bedroom was perfect, too. There were red sheets of silk draped across her bed, and the curtains were purely white. And, when inspecting, she found that there were glass sliding doors that lead out to a balcony; instead of the normal windows, of course. Each of the women had their own closet and bathroom, along with a signature color for each. Bryce was blessed with red— her favorite color— while Candice had emerald green, and Evelyn; bright yellow.

Sitting her luggage on the soft carpet, Bryce removed her satin gloves and placed them on the bedside table. She took caution as she sat down on the bed, hoping not to ruin its beauty.

And, as she glanced around her new bedroom, she knew that she was going to enjoy her time in Hawaii.

---

Bryce peels the wrapped from her red velvet cupcake, tossing it into the trash as she sits down on a barstool. Evelyn stands at the opposite side of the bar, wiping the cream cheese icing from her fingers. The brunette gives Evelyn a thumbs up as she bites into the cupcake, indicating a success from the baking process.

Candice snatches one of them for herself, her eyes scanning over the decorations. She looks up from the cupcake, raising an eyebrow at the raven-haired woman.

"Why is there a baby daisy on my cupcake?" Candice asks, sitting down next to Bryce. "You didn't pick these from the backyard, did you?"

"They're sugar," Evelyn corrects her, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's supposed to be a decoration, but apparently it was a miss. I picked them up while I was at the grocery."

"I think it's adorable," Bryce chimes, ready to take another bite. "And your cooking skills are amazing, have you ever thought on having your own bakery?"

"Maybe someday," she replies with a shrug. "I need to focus on being a nurse for now, and I'll think about things like that when the time comes."

Candice sighs in content as she finally gets around to tasting Evelyn's creation. It didn't come as a surprise that they were wonderful; Evelyn had always had a talent when it came to baking. Bryce often called her a blessing when she showed up at the hospital with muffins or cookies. Since the brunette had first met her, she had been constantly offering sweets. She truly was an angel.

A knock sounded at the door, confusing the three as they continued eating. Heels clicked across the hardwood flooring in the living space as Rose opened the door without a second thought. The words exchanged between Rose and whoever was at the door were quite incoherent, so Bryce was left wondering who was already showing up at their door.

Rose left the door for a moment, her heels trailing towards the kitchen. Once inside, her eyes landed on Bryce immediately.

"Someone's here to see you," she grins, before composing herself.

"Me?" Bryce asks, furrowing her eyebrows. It was unclear who knew their address, let alone someone who would want to go there to see her. Bryce had talked to her parents over the phone the other night, and they hadn't hinted on coming to visit; especially so soon.

"Yes, now go!" Rose tugs on her arm, ushering her forward. "Ooh‒ cupcakes! Mind if I steal one of those, Evelyn?"

Their conversation was no longer audible as Bryce entered the living space, her eyes immediately straying to the visitor in the doorway. Like usual, his hands were shoved into his pockets, and he rocked back and forth on his feet. But once he realized Bryce was there, his eyes lit up and his whole persona changed. In fact, Danny seemed even more nervous.

"Danny," Bryce breathes, moving forward to meet him. "What . . . what are you doing here?"

"It took me a couple hours, but I finally found this place," he chuckles, running his fingers through his tousled hair. "A few friends of mine had the address since his lover is here, so I thought I should come see you."

"So you're positioned here, too?" The woman questions.

"Yeah, for a bit," the edge of his lips twitch upwards. "I was hoping you would be— so we could actually go on that date."

"Tonight?" The brunette raises an eyebrow, leaning on the door frame.

"Only if you want to," he rushes, clearly flustered by the pink tinge to his cheeks. "We could do it some other night, whenever it's convenient for you. I know you probably have a lot of unpacking to do and chores to—"

"Tonight sounds perfect," Bryce cuts him off with a chuckle. "How does seven sound?"

At the sound of her laugh, Danny freezes, then nods. "Yes— of course. Seven, it is."

Bryce enjoyed staring into his eyes; being able to see past what was on the outside and to get a look into what he was feeling. Danny seemed to be an open book with his emotions, and obviously didn't take to hiding them well.

"I'll see you then, Danny," Bryce gives him one last smile— one that left him heart-wrecked— before closing the door softly.

He smiled too, before descending down the sidewalk. He waited until he was a pretty good distance away, before finally getting riled up.

But, as Bryce was walking back to the kitchen, she couldn't help but roll her eyes and hide the upcoming smile as Danny's celebratory yells reached her ears.

_______