Morning Coffee

Bailey hummed happily to herself as she started to make her morning coffee. For some reason, she had the feeling that today was going to be a good day. At least until Belle came downstairs, looking disheveled and grumpy. The memory of how yesterday went caused Bailey's good cheer to evaporate almost instantly.

"Hey Bailey, pour me a cup of that stuff," Belle ordered, sitting down at the kitchen counter with a huff.

"Sure," Bailey replied, grabbing a second coffee mug and pouring a cup for her stepdaughter. She hands it over to Belle, who takes the up wordlessly. Bailey, not entirely thinking straight due to the early morning and her own frustration over the day before, muttered, "Just once I'd like to hear a 'thank you' from you."

"Thank you," Belle said almost immediately. Bailey looked over at her in shock, and oddly enough Belle looked just as surprised by what she said.

"...You're welcome," Bailey said cautiously, not entirely sure how to take this odd turn of events. She couldn't remember the last time Belle properly thanked her for anything.

Belle, meanwhile, tried to push the moment out of her head. She blew on the coffee, and waited until Bailey got her own cup. She then took one sip, and immediately spat it out, remembering now why she hated the taste of coffee.

"Bleh! This is boiling hot!" Belle yelled.

"Well, I just made it..." Bailey said, "Maybe you should let it cool off first..."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Belle snapped, "It's not like it even tastes that good! I don't usually drink coffee, but it shouldn't be this burnt, right? I knew asking you for something was a mistake. I'm better off going to Starbucks..."

Usually, Bailey would just be quiet and endure the verbal **** Belle was dishing out. But the surge of uncharacteristic confidence was returning, and for once she felt like standing up for herself.

"I didn't make this coffee for you," Bailey said angrily, "I was making it for myself, and you asked me to have some. Actually, no, you told me to give it to you. You got what you asked for and act like it's my fault you don't like it. Well, I'm sick of it. So stop complaining for once and drink your coffee, because I'm not getting you another one."

Belle wanted to snap back at her and dump the crappy coffee on the floor just to spite Bailey's sudden attitude. But for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to do either of those things. Instead, she took another sip of the bitter drink. She didn't even want to, but now she knew she had to finish it, without complaining... what was going on?

Bailey for her part was now even more confused. Did that actually work? She didn't think it was possible for her to shut Belle up, but here she was quietly drinking her coffee. She actually looked a little shaken up by Bailey's outburst. This was weird... she wanted to believe that her newfound confidence was enough to make Belle realize that she shouldn't be treating Bailey so poorly, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something very odd happening today.