Ellinor picked a fast food joint nearby because she was starving and wanted to wolf down some food as soon as possible.
Theo thought the grub was nothing but junk, but he went along with her, figuring she needed something in her belly pronto.
Ellinor ordered a combo meal and added a few more a la carte items. Theo didn't eat, he just picked up the tab.
While she was chowing down, Theo just sat across from her, watching her in silence.
When Ellinor was almost done with her meal, she sipped on her soda through a straw and asked:
"Theo, when you decided to marry me, was it because you saw that I was capable, that I could take care of myself and wouldn't put you in a tight spot easily, right?"
Theo was taken aback; she had nailed why he'd originally chosen her.
"Indeed, I didn't want innocent people to get dragged into this. My original choice couldn't make it because of a flight delay due to weather. You, on the other hand, showed guts and practical skills, so I thought you were the perfect fit. Don't worry, though, I will protect you."
Ellinor wasn't worried, just curious.
"You're chattier than usual today, are you parched?"
With that, she offered her soda to Theo...
Theo was surprised. She was offering him a sip of her soda! He took the straw and drank.
Ellinor retrieved her soda and continued drinking, acting as if nothing was amiss.
Theo felt a warm glow. Looking at her, he asked, "Do you not dislike me anymore?"
"Disliking you won't do any good, like you said, we're already entwined!"
"So would you give me a chance, can we start over?"
"Let's give it a shot!" Ellinor raised her eyebrows.
"Give it a shot?"
"See if we can really get used to each other. If we can, we stick together; if we can't, we stick to the original plan and call it quits when time's up! Theo, some things seem simple when you think about it, but when you actually do it, it's a whole different ball game. We grew up in different worlds, there's a generation gap, we might not be the perfect match! So let's leave some wiggle room, save ourselves from awkwardness later!"
Theo reached out and playfully pinched her chin, "So during this trial period, can I kiss you?"
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