Coincidence

Written for https://weeklyprompts.wordpress.com/?p=14080&preview=true

Coincidence

‘What a coincidence,’ Rose said, her hands wrapped around a family sized doughnut box. ‘I was coming round to yours.’ The open door sheltered her against the hammering of rain on her porch. ‘I got given these at work, but I’m on a diet, didn’t want to eat them all on my own.’

‘That’s what I was coming round to tell you. I’m on that new diet thingy, where you only eat chicken. I wanted to ask your advice on what to do next.’

‘Get out of the rain. You look soaked to the skin.’

Carol slipped inside the inviting hallway. The warmth from the kitchen luring her coat away from her shoulders. Hung on the hook, she followed her friend and the sweet aroma of the doughnuts.

‘Cuppa?’

‘Do you really need to ask?’ She hoisted herself on to a high-backed chair. The box, pink and covered in miniature sprinkles, lit up her eyes. She weighed herself at home and, for all her effort, wasn’t any smaller.

A flick of the switch, and the comforting hum of the kettle washed over the kitchen. Rose opened the lid of the box, sneaking two on to a plate, before closing the plastic lid.

‘I thought… you were on a…’ Carol was about to say, before biting back her words. It wouldn’t harm to have one of those sugary delights. ‘Can I have the ringed one with the rainbow sprinkles?’

‘Course you can. The jam doughnut is mine, though.’

A sweet treat spread a gooey silence across the kitchen. The occasional lick of their fingers was intermittent with slurps of their tea. The only sign of the torrential downpour outside; the tip tapping on the window.

‘Got to go soon. Sam will be back in about half an hour, and expecting his tea.’

‘But I can’t waste the last two. Either I eat them all on my own, or we share the burden,’ Rose said, laughing. ‘Next week, we’ll start the diet together. Saw a leaflet for Slimming World last week. I’ll go if you do.’