Chapter 15 - Two more days of Longing

                                    

                                          
Freda tried not to frown as she welcomed Mrs. Shafi into her apartment. There was something wrong. 
"How are you feeling now, child?" Mrs. Shafi asked as she walked into the living room as if it was second nature to her now. She had been coming over to feed Freda healthy food and medicines while she was sick for the past two days. Freda had conveniently gotten sick on the weekend which meant she could relax and not worry about taking days off from the office. 
But even though one of her worries was resolved, her other worry was related to none other than the brunette who had occupied her mind for the past two days as well. 
"I'm fine now, thanks to you, aunty." Mrs. Shafi waved her hand dismissively after she placed the tray of food down at the coffee table. "Don't be formal with me, you're just like another daughter to me." 
Freda smiled before she asked up the question, she had in her head ever since the woman walked into her apartment. "How's Ola doing?" 
Mrs. Shafi didn't know why Freda had asked her about that, but she chose not to dwell on that thought for long as she smiled. "She's fine, she's been going out of the house lately though." 
The older woman placed a hand under her chin as she felt herself frown. It was as if she had finally acknowledged how weird that really was, after she had spoken it out. Freda frowned as well. 
Both of them had the same thought. 'Oh yeah, something was definitely wrong.'
"Did something happen between you two?" Mrs. Shafi had asked up before Freda could say anything, and the question caught the redhead completely off-guard. "W-What?" 
"Ola has been acting quite strange ever since she came back from work on Friday." 
Freda unconsciously remembered their shared moment under the umbrella and a slight blush colored her cheeks, even though she was shaking her head at Mrs. Shafi. 
The older woman raised an eyebrow in question as she tried to make sense of the red coloring on the redhead's cheeks. "Are you sure?" She pressed some more since she wasn't ready to believe that nothing had happened between them. Why else would Ola be acting weirder than usual?
Ola had never in her life stepped foot out of the apartment without having a solid reason to go. That's how she was. But here she was, leaving the apartment for the past two days without having a reason to. 
Mrs. Shafi hadn't dared to ask her daughter what was bothering her, because deep down she had somehow believed that she wouldn't like the answer. 
"Hm. Everything was fine at the office on Friday." Freda answered as she tried not to think more about their kiss, even though that was all she had thought about in her pastime. 
Mrs. Shafi tried to remain silent after that answer, but she couldn't help but feel comfortable enough to ask the redhead a certain question. A question which had left even Freda feeling conflicted. "Is Ola seeing someone in the office? Like as a potential partner?" 
Even though Mrs. Shafi's question was extremely vague, it did a great job of making Freda blush. The redhead wasn't sure if she and Ola were at that point of a relationship yet where they would see each other as significant others. Well, Freda was. But Ola was still confused which was specifically why she had been leaving the apartment to go for long walks and then coming back just so she could stand and stare at Freda's apartment door before going over to her own apartment door. 
"I-I don't know honestly." Mrs. Shafi noticed an underlying disappointment in Freda's tone as she looked over to the slobbering dog in the living room, who she had noticed after so long.