April 29th, 2040
It had been a long time since something made Candice stop in her tracks but this moment right here - Dominic telling her that he owed her a apology… that made her stop. Everything in her mind slowed, and instead, she could only look at the man in front of her with a confused expression. Out of everything else that could have happened today, this was never something she could have expected. Honestly… part of her didn’t even know how to react. What do you say to your ex who’s hated you for more than 2 decades and is now apologizing? Genuinely apologizing?
But after taking a second, she found herself smiling softly as she met his eyes. “Thank you. I know… sigh what you went through was awful. And you did what you needed to so that you could get through it. I get it Dominic… I did the same thing when I left you. I broke up with you without explanation… I distanced myself because I blamed myself too. So… I understand… but I appreciate the apology.”
Nope… she wasn’t expecting the day to go like this. Hell, even a younger Candice would have never predicted that Dominic would apologize to her but here they were; two people standing in an art gallery as they did many years ago.
Flashback:
“Dom dom dom, look at that one. Isn’t it beautiful.” Pulling her boyfriend towards yet another painting, Candice had a rare day off - specifically because her mother was away for a conference for the weekend meaning not only was it a rare day, it was a rare couple of days. It was because of that, Candice had made sure to schedule every waking free hour she had with people she loved. Val, her girl friends, and Dom of course. And today: it was her date with Dom. All day; just him and her.
And yes, was it a surprise they used their day to check out the new exhibit at the California Museum of Art? No - it truly shouldn’t be. A grin met her lips as Dom wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissing her cheek as he turned his head to look at the painting. “You’re more beautiful,” “You can’t use that line every time Dom. Now tell me, what do you think about this painting?.” She loved this; hearing her boyfriend’s thoughts about paintings and comparing it to her own. And, well, she loved him too.
A small laugh escaped her lips at his sentiment about galleries. “I know… I do too.” Though her expression turned more serious as he begin explaining his thoughts about the painting. He was right; it was too bright compared to what was surrounding it. She found herself making a mental note to rearrange the gallery. “Perhaps I should tell you the truth Dominic. I might be asking your opinion for selfish reasons. I own this gallery.”