AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tomás. Tomás had cooked for me. I sat up. I’d fallen asleep in my chair. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to doze off.”
“It’s okay, but I figured you’d want to eat something, or you’d wake up from hunger.”
Something smelled good. “What did you make?”
“A frittata with potatoes and bacon, which I found in your fridge. I also threw in some leftover bell pepper and spring onion that was near death. Plus, lots of cheese, of course.”
My mouth watered. “That sounds wonderful.”
“Go sit at the kitchen table, and I’ll serve you a plate. I’ll take some as well to help stave off the jet lag.”
We sat across from each other in a scene so domestic it almost felt surreal. He heaped a large serving on my plate, and I dug in. It was delicious, the eggs perfectly done without being rubbery or dry, and they had a creamy roundness I couldn’t trace. “What did you put in the eggs? They’re yummy.”
“A little cream. Adds some extra moisture.”
“Also adds a lot of calories. Not an issue for me, but I thought you were always careful.”
He shrugged. “So I won’t do underwear or swimwear suits for a while. I should be fine for everything else.”
I’d drooled over his swimwear ads, especially the one he’d done for Speedo, with an itty-bitty white pair that had outlined everything perfectly, lord help me. Not something I wanted to think about now. “I appreciate you making this. I was famished.”
“You’re welcome. There’s enough for another portion tomorrow, so I’ll put it in the fridge once it’s cooled down a little.”
I furiously chewed. “You can put it in the fridge right now. It doesn’t need to cool off.”
“Really? I thought that was bad for your fridge.”
“Only if it’s like a whole pan of soup, but not for smaller portions. It’s better to cool off as soon as possible so bacteria won’t have much chance to develop.”
“Never knew that.” He got up.
“I didn’t mean for you to do it right away. You can finish your food.”
“It’s too hot for me to eat anyway. I can’t eat warm food. I prefer things lukewarm. Weird, I know, but it means I can wrap up the leftovers.”
Watching Tomás putter around in my kitchen gave me all the feels. Not since Samuel had someone else cooked for me besides my mom. York couldn’t cook worth a damn, so if he wanted to take care of the food when he came over, he always got takeout. But Tomás seemed to have made himself at home, opening cabinets until he’d found what he was looking for. He put the leftovers on a plate, covered it with plastic wrap, and slid the plate into the fridge.
“Thank you,” I said when he sat down again. “For driving me home and for making dinner.”
“My pleasure.” He cocked his head. “Where are your kids?”
“With Samuel’s parents for the week. It’s the last week of their summer break.”
“Gotcha. Must be weird without them.”
“They only left this morning, so I haven’t had time to feel their absence yet, but yeah, I’m sure it will be. They’ve never been gone that long.”
“Samuel’s parents never asked before?”
I’d almost finished my plate while Tomás was just digging in. I’d been more hungry than I’d realized. “They did, but the boys didn’t want to go. Not for that long, and since his parents live a few hours away in Oregon, it’s not worth it for a weekend trip.”
“But they were willing now? What changed?”
“A few weeks ago, on the anniversary of Samuel’s death, my sons told me they were ready to move on. Ever since he died, I’d taken that day off to spend it with them, visiting his grave and sharing memories. They let me know they didn’t need that anymore. I think…” I sighed. “I think they didn’t want to go to Samuel’s parents because of me. They didn’t want me to be alone because they know how much I miss him. It’s different for them, you know? They’re kids. Of course they miss him, but everything goes on, and they have a whole life ahead of them. I can’t expect them to mourn him the way I do.”
Tomás’s eyes grew soft. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose someone you love like that.”
“It’s like a part of me is missing. We loved each other very much, and my life feels incomplete without him.”
